System, apparatus, method, program and recording medium for processing image

ABSTRACT

An image processing system may include an imaging device for capturing an image and an image processing apparatus for processing the image. The imaging device may include an imaging unit for capturing the image, a first recording unit for recording information relating to the image, the information being associated with the image, and a first transmission control unit for controlling transmission of the image to the image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus may include a reception control unit for controlling reception of the image transmitted from the imaging device, a feature extracting unit for extracting a feature of the received image, a second recording unit for recording the feature, extracted from the image, the feature being associated with the image, and a second transmission control unit for controlling transmission of the feature to the imaging device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/944,124, filed Apr. 3, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/705,673, filed Sep. 15, 2017, now U.S.Pat. No. 9,965,493, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/370,237, filed Dec. 6, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,805,064,which is continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/695,422,filed Apr. 24, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,710,490, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/977,835, filed Dec.23, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,047,287, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/700,736 filed Jan. 31, 2007, now U.S.Pat. No. 7,884,847, which claims priority from Japanese PatentApplication No. JP 2006-024185 filed in the Japanese Patent Office onFeb. 1, 2006, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a system, apparatus, method andrecording medium for processing an image and, in particular, to asystem, apparatus, method and recording medium for extracting a featurefrom the image.

Description of the Related Art

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-62868discloses functions of detecting a face, extracting a feature of animage, and retrieving the image in small consumer electronics (CE) suchas digital still camera

Since processors mounted on a typical small CE are limited inperformance, an image can be analyzed within a limited area. The imagecannot be analyzed sufficiently. Analysis results provide insufficientaccuracy level and find limited applications.

Detection of human faces requires a long period of time unlessdefinition of an image to be analyzed is set to be low. Process timesubstantially exceeds time available for typical users. If thedefinition of an image is set to be too low, it is difficult to detect aface image of a small size, particularly, a face image of a person in agroup photo. The low-definition image thus cannot satisfy a need forretrieving a particular face on a group photo.

For example, if the above-discussed analysis process is performed on adigital still camera, the camera must focus on that process and powerconsumption increases. Time available for image capturing is shortened,and the number of frames of image is reduced.

Digital still cameras are now in widespread use, and many digital stillcamera functions are transferred to cellular phones. In daily life, theopportunity of (still) picture capturing is substantially increased. Ifa user attempts to view captured images on a digital still camera, onlyreduced images (thumb-nail images) are available in the order of imagecapturing in retrieval process. In image retrieval performance, thedigital still camera is substantially outperformed by a computerprovided with an image management program.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is a need for retrieving an image desired by the user in a digitalstill camera having a large storage function and a photo album function.

It is desirable to provide an apparatus that allows a desired image tobe retrieved even with a relatively small throughput thereof.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an imageprocessing system may include an imaging device for capturing an imageand an image processing apparatus for processing the image. The imagingdevice may include an imaging unit for capturing the image, a firstrecording unit for recording information relating to the image as datahaving a predetermined data structure, the information being associatedwith the image, and a first transmission control unit for controllingtransmission of the image to the image processing apparatus. The imageprocessing apparatus may include a reception control unit forcontrolling reception of the image transmitted from the imaging device,a feature extracting unit for extracting a feature of the receivedimage, a second recording unit for recording the feature, extracted fromthe image, as data having the same structure as the data structure inthe imaging device, the feature being associated with the image, and asecond transmission control unit for controlling transmission of thefeature to the imaging device.

The imaging unit captures the image. The first recording unit may recordthe information relating to the image as the data having a predetermineddata structure with the information associated with the image. The firsttransmission control unit may control the transmission of the image tothe image processing apparatus. The reception control unit may controlthe reception of the image transmitted from the imaging device. Thefeature extracting unit may extract the feature of the received image.The second recording unit may record the feature, extracted from theimage, as the data having the same structure as the data structure inthe imaging device, with the feature associated with the image. Thesecond transmission control unit may control the transmission of thefeature to the imaging device.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an imageprocessing apparatus may include a feature extracting unit forextracting a feature of an image, a first recording unit for recordingthe feature, extracted from the image, as data having a predeterminedstructure, the feature being associated with the image, and atransmission control unit for controlling transmission of the feature toa device, the device recording information relating to the image as datahaving the same structure as the predetermined structure.

The image processing apparatus may further include a reception controlunit for controlling reception of the image transmitted from the device.

The image processing apparatus may further include a second recordingunit for recording the image.

The image processing apparatus may further include a retrieval unit forretrieving the recorded image in accordance with the feature recorded asthe data having the structure.

The image processing apparatus may further include a display unit fordisplaying the retrieved image.

The first recording unit may include a database.

The feature extracting unit may extract the feature as informationrelating to a face image contained in the image.

The feature extracting unit may extract at least one of the featurescontaining number of face images contained in the image, a position ofthe face image, a size of the face image, and a direction the face imagelooks toward.

The feature extracting unit may extract the feature representing thenumber of pixels classified as indicating a particular color from amongcolors of the image.

The feature extracting unit may extract the feature that is used tocalculate the degree of similarity between features of any two images.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an imageprocessing method may include steps of extracting a feature of an image,recording the feature, extracted from the image, as data having apredetermined structure, the feature being associated with the image,and controlling transmission of the feature to a device, the devicerecording information relating to the image as data having the samestructure as the predetermined structure.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a computerprogram is provided which may cause a computer to perform steps ofextracting a feature of an image, recording the feature, extracted fromthe image, as data having a predetermined structure, the feature beingassociated with the image, and controlling transmission of the featureto a device, the device recording information relating to the image asdata having the same structure as the predetermined structure.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a recordingmedium stores the computer program.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the feature ofthe image may be extracted, the feature, extracted from the image, maybe recorded as the data having a predetermined structure with thefeature associated with the image. The transmission of the feature to adevice is controlled. The device recording information relating to theimage records as data having the same structure as the predeterminedstructure.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the devicemay retrieve images.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a desiredimage may be retrieved with a device having a relatively low throughput.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing system inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a digital still camera;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a server;

FIG. 4 illustrates a function of a microprocessor unit (MPU) performinga program;

FIG. 5 illustrates a function of a central processing unit (CPU)performing a program;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an image analyzer;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an image capturing process;

FIG. 8 illustrates relationship between a master image and a reducedimage;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a backup process;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an image analysis process;

FIG. 11 illustrates the generation of a color histogram;

FIG. 12 illustrates the generation of a vertical component histogram anda horizontal component histogram;

FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate the generation of the vertical componenthistogram and the horizontal component histogram;

FIG. 14 illustrates image backup and metadata overwriting;

FIG. 15 illustrates a specific example of metadata;

FIG. 16 illustrates the structure of metadata stored on a contentdatabase;

FIG. 17 illustrates the structure of metadata stored on the contentdatabase or metadata stored on a similar feature database;

FIG. 18 illustrates the structure of a similar feature item;

FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an image acquisition process;

FIG. 20 illustrates acquisition of an image and overwriting of metadata;

FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating a retrieval process;

FIG. 22 illustrates an association between metadata common to a digitalstill camera and a server and the image;

FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating the retrieval process;

FIG. 24 illustrates the display of a reduced image;

FIG. 25 illustrates the display of a reduced image;

FIG. 26 is a flowchart illustrating a retrieval process retrievingsimilar images;

FIG. 27 illustrates the structure of the metadata and distance;

FIG. 28 illustrates an association of the content database, the similarfeature database, and a time group database and respective records;

FIG. 29 illustrates a display of the order of similarity;

FIG. 30 illustrates switching between the display of the order ofsimilarity and the display of time series;

FIG. 31 is a flowchart illustrating the retrieval process;

FIG. 32 illustrates switching between the display of the order ofsimilarity and the display of time series:

FIG. 33 is a block diagram illustrating a color feature extractor;

FIG. 34 illustrates correspondence information recorded on acorrespondence to relation level extractor;

FIG. 35 illustrates the logical structure of relation level recorded onan extracted feature storage;

FIG. 36 is a flowchart illustrating in detail a color feature extractionprocess;

FIG. 37 is a flowchart illustrating in detail a relation levelextraction process;

FIG. 38 illustrates an RGB color space;

FIG. 39 illustrates a L*a*b space;

FIG. 40 illustrates a sub space of white and a sub space of black;

FIG. 41 illustrates a color saturation boundary and a luminanceboundary;

FIG. 42 illustrates sub spaces of green, blue, red, and yellow;

FIG. 43 is a flowchart illustrating in detail another relation levelextraction process;

FIG. 44 is a flowchart illustrating in detail yet another relation levelextraction process;

FIG. 45 illustrates determination data;

FIG. 46 is a flowchart illustrating in detail still another relationlevel extraction process;

FIG. 47 is a flowchart illustrating the retrieval process;

FIG. 48 illustrating a GUI image in the retrieval process; and

FIGS. 49A-49D illustrate an image hit in the retrieval process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before describing an embodiment of the present invention, thecorrespondence between the elements of the claims and the specificelements disclosed in this specification or the drawings is discussednow. This description is intended to assure that embodiments supportingthe claimed invention are described in this specification or thedrawings. Thus, even if an element in the following embodiments is notdescribed in the specification or the drawings as relating to a certainfeature of the present invention, that does not necessarily mean thatthe element does not relate to that feature of the claims. Conversely,even if an element is described herein as relating to a certain featureof the claims, that does not necessarily mean that the element does notrelate to other features of the claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an imageprocessing system includes an imaging device (for example, digital stillcamera 11 of FIG. 1) for capturing an image and an image processingapparatus (for example, server 13 of FIG. 1) for processing the image.The imaging device includes an imaging unit (for example, imaging device33 of FIG. 2) for capturing the image, a first recording unit (forexample, similar feature database 112 of FIG. 4) for recordinginformation relating to the image as data having a predetermined datastructure, the information being associated with the image, and a firsttransmission control unit (for example, transmission controller 108 ofFIG. 4) for controlling transmission of the image to the imageprocessing apparatus. The image processing apparatus includes areception control unit (for example, reception controller 139-1 of FIG.5) for controlling reception of the image transmitted from the imagingdevice, a feature extracting unit (for example, image analyzer 131 ofFIG. 5) for extracting a feature of the received image, a secondrecording unit (for example, similar feature database 142 of FIG. 5) forrecording the feature, extracted from the image, as data having the samestructure as the data structure in the imaging device, the feature beingassociated with the image, and a second transmission control unit (forexample, similar feature database 142 of FIG. 5) for controllingtransmission of the feature to the imaging device.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an imageprocessing apparatus (for example, server 13 of FIG. 1) includes afeature extracting unit (for example, image analyzer 131 of FIG. 5) forextracting a feature of an image, a first recording unit (for example,similar feature database 142 of FIG. 5) for recording the feature,extracted from the image, as data having a predetermined structure, thefeature being associated with the image, and a transmission control unit(for example, transmission controller 138-1 of FIG. 5) for controllingtransmission of the feature to a device (for example, digital stillcamera 11 of FIG. 1), the device recording information relating to theimage as data having the same structure as the predetermined structure.

The image processing apparatus may further include a reception controlunit (for example, reception controller 139-1 of FIG. 5) for controllingreception of the image transmitted from the device.

The image processing apparatus may further include a second recordingunit (for example, image storage 140 of FIG. 5) for recording the image.

The image processing apparatus may further include a retrieval unit (forexample, retrieval unit 137 of FIG. 5) for retrieving the recorded imagein accordance with the feature recorded as the data having thestructure.

The image processing apparatus may further include a display unit (forexample, output unit 77 as a display of FIG. 3) for displaying theretrieved image.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, one of an imageprocessing method and a computer program includes steps of extracting afeature of an image (for example, step S34 of FIG. 9), recording thefeature, extracted from the image, as data having a predeterminedstructure, the feature being associated with the image (for example,step S36 of FIG. 9), and controlling transmission of the feature to adevice, the device recording information relating to the image as datahaving the same structure as the predetermined structure (for example,step S37 of FIG. 9).

FIG. 1 illustrates an image processing system in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention. A digital still camera 11 as anexample of imaging device captures an image, and supplies the capturedimage to a server 13 as an example of image processing apparatus. Acellular phone 12 as another example of imaging device captures an imageand then supplies the captured image to the server 13. Each of thedigital still camera 11 and the cellular phone 12 generates a contractedimage from the captured image.

Each of the digital still camera 11, the cellular phone 12, and theserver 13 is also one example of a display controller.

The server 13 includes a personal computer, a non-portable recorder, agame machine, and a dedicated device, and records images supplied fromone of the digital still camera 11 and the cellular phone 12. The server13 processes the image supplied from one of the digital still camera 11and the cellular phone 12, and extracts a feature of the image. Theserver 13 supplies data obtained as a result of process to one of thedigital still camera 11 and the cellular phone 12.

The server 13 acquires an image from one of a Web server 15-1 and a Webserver 15-2, and records the acquired image thereon. The server 13processes the image acquired from one of the Web server 15-1 and the Webserver 15-2, and generates a contracted image from the acquired image.The server 13 supplies data obtained as a result of processing to one ofthe digital still camera 11 and the cellular phone 12 together with thecontracted image.

One of the digital still camera 11 and the cellular phone 12 retrieves adesired image from the recorded images based on the data obtained as aresult of image processing and supplied by the server 13. The server 13also retrieves a desired image of the recorded images based on the dataobtained as a result of image processing.

Since each of the digital still camera 11, the cellular phone 12, andthe server 13 retrieves the image based on the same data obtained as aresult of image processing, a desired image is retrieved in the sameway.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the digitalstill camera 11. The digital still camera 11 includes an imaging lens31, a stop 32, an imaging device 33, an analog signal processor 34, ananalog-to-digital (A/D) converter 35, a digital signal processor 36, amicroprocessor (MPU) 37, a memory 38, a digital-to-analog (D/A)converter 39, a monitor 40, a compressor/decompressor 41, a cardinterface 42, a memory card 43, a AF motor and zoom motor 44, a controlcircuit 45, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory(EEPROM) 46, a communication unit 47, a communication unit 48, and aninput unit 49.

The imaging lens 31 focuses an optical image of a subject on a lightfocusing surface of the imaging device 33 through the stop 32. Theimaging lens 31 includes at least one lens. The imaging lens 31 may be amonofocus lens or a variable focus type lens such as a zoom lens.

The stop 32 adjusts the quantity of light of the optical image focusedon the focusing surface of the imaging device 33.

The imaging device 33 may include one of a charge-coupled device (CCD)or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, and convertsthe optical image focused on the focusing surface thereof into anelectrical signal. The imaging device 33 supplies the electrical signalobtained as a result of conversion to the analog signal processor 34.

The analog signal processor 34 includes a sample-hold circuit, a colorseparation circuit, a gain control circuit, etc. The analog signalprocessor 34 performs correlated double sampling (CDS) process on theelectrical signal from the imaging device 33 while separating theelectrical signal into R (red), G (green), and B (blue) color signals,and adjusting the signal level of each color signal (in white balanceprocess). The analog signal processor 34 supplies the color signals tothe A/D converter 35.

The A/D converter 35 converts each color signal into a digital signal,and then supplies the digital signal to the digital signal processor 36.

The digital signal processor 36 includes a luminance and colordifference signal generator, a sharpness corrector, a contrastcorrector, etc. The digital signal processor 36 under the control of theMPU 37 converts the digital signal into a luminance signal (Y signal)and color difference signals (Cr and Cb signals). The digital signalprocessor 36 supplies the processed digital signals to the memory 38.

The MPU 37 is an embedded type processor and generally controls thedigital still camera 11 by executing the program thereof.

The memory 38 includes a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The memory38 under the control of the MPU 37 temporarily stores the digital signalsupplied from the digital signal processor 36. The D/A converter 39reads the digital signal from the memory 38, converts the read signalinto an analog signal, and supplies the analog signal to the monitor 40.The monitor 40, such as a liquid-crystal display (LCD) or aelectroluminescence (EL) display, displays an image responsive to theanalog signal supplied from the D/A converter 39.

An electrical signal supplied from the imaging device 33 periodicallyupdates the digital signal on the memory 38, and the analog signalproduced from the updated digital signal is supplied to the monitor 40.As a result, the image focused on the imaging device 33 is displayed onthe monitor 40 on a real-time basis.

The monitor 40 displays a graphical user interface (GUI) image on thescreen thereof. To this end, the MPU 37 writes on the memory 38 videodata to display the GUI image, causes the D/A converter 39 to convertthe video data into the analog signal, and causes the monitor 40 todisplay the GUI image based on the analog signal.

The compressor/decompressor 41 under the control of the MPU 37 encodesthe digital signal stored on the memory 38 in accordance with JoinPhotographic Experts Group (JPEG) or JPEG 2000 standards. Thecompressor/decompressor 41 supplies the encoded video data to the memorycard 43 via the card interface 42. The memory card 43, containing asemiconductor memory or a hard disk drive (HDD), is removably loaded onthe digital still camera 11. When loaded on the digital still camera 11,the memory card 43 is electrically connected to the card interface 42.The memory card 43 stores the video data supplied from the cardinterface 42.

In response to a command from the MPU 37, the card interface 42 controlsthe recording of the video data to and the reading of the video datafrom the memory card 43 electrically connected thereto.

The video data recorded on the memory card 43 is read via the cardinterface 42 and decoded into a digital signal by thecompressor/decompressor 41.

The AF motor and zoom motor 44, driven by the control circuit 45, movethe imaging lens 31 with respect to the imaging device 33 to modify thefocus and the focal length of the imaging lens 31. In response to acommand from the MPU 37, the control circuit 45 drives the AF motor andzoom motor 44 while also controlling the stop 32 and the imaging device33.

The EEPROM 46 stores a program executed by the MPU 37 and a variety ofdata.

The communication unit 47 meets standards such as universal serial bus(USB) or Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 1394,and exchanges a variety of data with the server 13 via a wiredtransmission medium.

The communication unit 48 meets standards such as IEEE 802.11a, IEEE802.11b, or IEEE 802.11g, or Bluetooth, and exchanges a variety of datawith the server 13 via a wireless transmission medium.

The input unit 49 includes switches, buttons, and touchpanels andsupplies to the MPU 37 a signal responsive to a user operation input.

As described above, the memory card 43 records the video data. Themedium having the video data recorded thereon is not limited to thesemiconductor memory or the magnetic disk. The medium may be any of anoptical disk, a magnetooptical disk. Also usable as a medium may be theone that permits data to be written and read in an electrical way, amagnetic way, an optical way, a quantum way, or a combination thereof.One of these media may be housed in the digital still camera 11.

The video data may be simply referred to as an image.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the server 13.The CPU 71 performs a variety of processes under the control of theprogram stored on a read-only memory (ROM) 72 or a storage unit 78. Arandom-access memory (RAM) 73 stores programs to be executed by the CPU71 and data. The CPU 71, the ROM 72 and the RAM 73 are interconnectedvia a bus 74.

The CPU 71 connects to an input-output interface 75 via the bus 74. Alsoconnected to the input-output interface 75 are an input unit 76,composed of a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, etc., and an output unit77 composed of a display and a loudspeaker. In response to a commandinput from the input unit 76, the CPU 71 performs a variety ofprocesses. The CPU 71 outputs process results to the output unit 77.

The storage unit 78 connected to the input-output interface 75 includesa hard disk, for example, and stores a program to be executed by the CPU71 and data. The communication unit 79 meets standards such as USB orIEEE 1394, and exchanges a variety of data with one of the digital stillcamera 11 and the cellular phone 12 via a wired transmission medium, ormeets standards such as IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, or IEEE 802.11g, orBluetooth, and exchanges a variety of data with one of the digital stillcamera 11 and the cellular phone 12 via a wireless transmission medium.The communication unit 80 communicates with one of the Web server 15-1and the Web server 15-2 via a network 14 such as the Internet or a localarea network.

A program may be acquired via the communication unit 80 and then storedon the storage unit 78.

When being loaded with a removable medium 82 such as a magnetic disk, anoptical disk, a magneto-optic disk, or a semiconductor memory, a drive81 connected to the input-output interface 75 drives the loaded mediumto read the program and the data recorded thereon. The program and dataread are transferred to the storage unit 78 as necessary for storage.

FIG. 4 illustrates a function of the RAM 73 executing the program. Byexecuting the program, the MPU 37 implements an imaging controller 101,a contracted image generator 102, a metadata generator 103, an entrygenerator 104, a recording controller 105, a display controller 106, aretrieval unit 107, a transmission controller 108, a receptioncontroller 109, an image storage 110, a content database 111, a similarfeature database 112, a similar result database 113, a time groupdatabase 114, and a retrieval result storage 115.

By controlling the imaging lens 31 through the digital signal processor36 and the memory 38 through the control circuit 45, the imagingcontroller 101 controls an image capturing operation on the digitalstill camera 11. The imaging controller 101 records the captured imageon a recording area of the memory card 43 functioning as the imagestorage 110.

The contracted image generator 102 reads the digital signal of thecaptured image from the memory 38, and contracts the captured image,thereby generating the contracted image. The generated contracted imageis then supplied to the memory card 43 via the card interface 42, andthen recorded on the recording area of the memory card 43 as the imagestorage 110.

A high-definition image of a pixel count of 3000000 pixels to 4000000pixels is now captured under the control of the imaging controller 101.The contracted image generator 102 generates from the captured image acontracted image size of a pixel count of 640×480 pixels at VGA level(video graphic array) appropriate for view with the digital still camera11 or an equivalent image size.

The contracted image generator 102 may read the image from the imagestorage 110, and may contract the read image to generate a contractedimage.

To differentiate between the contracted image and the captured image,the captured image is referred to as a master image. If there is no needfor differentiating between the two images, both images are simplyreferred to as image.

As will be described later, the master image and the contracted imageare mapped to each other by data recorded on a content database 111.

The metadata generator 103 generates metadata of the metadata of themaster image. For example, the metadata generator 103 generates themetadata to be stored in a format specified by Exchangeable Image FileFormat (EXIF) standardized by Japanese Electronic Industry DevelopmentAssociation (JEIDA).

The entry generator 104 is organized as a data management system andgenerates entries of the master image and the contracted image when themaster image is captured. The generated entries are stored on thecontent database 111.

The recording controller 105 controls the recording of the master imageand the contracted image to the image storage 110.

The display controller 106 controls the displaying of the contractedimage and the GUI image to the monitor 40.

The retrieval unit 107 retrieves a desired contracted image or a desiredmaster image from the contracted image and the master image recorded onthe image storage 110 based on the data stored on the content database111, the similar feature database 112, the similar result database 113and the time group database 114. The searcher 107 causes the dataresponsive to the retrieval results to be stored on the search resultstorage 115.

The retrieval unit 107 includes a distance calculator 121. The distancecalculator 121 calculates a distance representing the degree ofsimilarity between two images from the data representing the feature ofthe images stored on the similar feature database 112. The distancecalculator 121 causes the similar result database 113 to store thecalculated distance.

The transmission controller 108 controls the communication unit 47,thereby controlling the transmission of the master image or thecontracted image by the communication unit 47 to the server 13. Bycontrolling the communication unit 47, the reception controller 109controls the reception of the feature of the image transmitted from theserver 13 via the communication unit 47. The feature of the image isobtained using a variety of image processes in the server 13.

The image storage 110, arranged in a recording space in the memory card43, stores the master image and the contracted image.

The content database 111, the similar feature database 112, the similarresult database 113, and the time group database 114 are constructed ofpredetermined recording spaces in the memory card 43 and the databasemanagement systems thereof.

The content database 111 stores data identifying each image and avariety of metadata of images in association with the data. The similarfeature database 112 stores data representing the feature of the imageobtained as a result of image processing in the server 13.

The similar result database 113 stores a distance representing thedegree of similarity between two images calculated by the distancecalculator 121 in the retrieval unit 107.

When a user classifies images into groups, the time group database 114stores information identifying an image belonging to each group.

The retrieval result storage 115 stores data as retrieval results. Forexample, the retrieval result storage 115 stores retrieval results ofthe image having a color corresponding to a weight. Retrieval operationhas been performed in accordance with the relation level under whicheach image is thought of by a particular color name, and in accordancewith the weight of the color represented by a color name input by a useroperation.

The relation level will be described in detail later.

FIG. 5 illustrates the function of the CPU 71 that executes the programthereof. By executing the program, the CPU 71 implements an imageanalyzer 131, a contracted image generator 132, a metadata generator133, an entry generator 134, a recording controller 135, a displaycontroller 136, a retrieval unit 137, transmission controllers 138-1 and138-2, reception controllers 139-1 and 139-2, an image storage 140, acontent database 141, a similar feature database 142, 1 similar resultdatabase 143, a time group database 144, a correspondence to relationlevel extractor storage 145, an extracted feature storage 146, and aretrieval result storage 147.

The image analyzer 131 extracts a feature of each image. Morespecifically, the image analyzer 131 performs image processing on eachimage, thereby analyzing the image. The image analyzer 131 supplies thefeature of the image obtained as a result of image processing to one ofthe similar feature database 142 and the transmission controller 138-1.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the imageanalyzer 131. The image analyzer 131 includes a face image detector 161and a similar feature quantity extractor 162.

The face image detector 161 extracts the feature of the image asinformation relating to a face image contained in the image. Forexample, the face image detector 161 extracts the number of face imagescontained in the image, the position of the face image in the image, thesize of the face image, and the direction in which the face image lookstoward in the image.

The similar feature quantity extractor 162 extracts a feature quantityof the image to determine the degree of similarity of images. Thesimilar feature quantity extractor 162 includes a similar feature vectorcalculator 171 and a color feature extractor 172. The similar featurevector calculator 171 extracts the features of two images from which thedegree of similarity between the two images is calculated. The colorfeature extractor 172 extracts from the color of each pixel in the imagethe relation level under which the image is thought of by thepredetermined color name. In other words, the color feature extractor172 extracts the feature representing the number of pixels classified ina color having a predetermined color name.

Returning to FIG. 5, the contracted image generator 132 under thecontrol of the reception controller 139-2 contracts the maser imageacquired from one of the Web server 15-1 and the Web server 15-2 via thenetwork 14, thereby generating the contracted image. The contractedimage is then recorded on the image storage 140.

The contracted image generator 132 may read an image from the imagestorage 140, and contracts the read image, thereby generating thecontracted image.

The metadata generator 133 generates the metadata of the master image.For example, the metadata generator 133 generates the metadata to bestored as data complying with the EXIF format standardized by the JEIDA.

Under the control of the reception controller 139-1, the entry generator134, organized as a database management system, generates an entry ofthe master image acquired from the digital still camera 11. The entrygenerator 134 under the control of the reception controller 139-2acquires the master image from one of the Web server 15-1 and the Webserver 15-2 via the network 14. If the contracted image is obtained fromthe master image, the entry generator 134 generates entries of themaster image and the contracted image. The generated entries are storedon the content database 141.

The recording controller 135 controls the recording of the master imageand the contracted image onto the image storage 140.

The display controller 136 controls the displaying of the master imageand the GUI image onto the output unit 77 as a display.

In accordance with the data stored one of the content database 141, thesimilar feature database 142, and the time group database 144, theretrieval unit 137 retrieves the master images and the contracted imagesstored on the image storage 140 for a desired master image or a desiredcontracted image. In accordance with the data stored on the extractedfeature storage 146, the retrieval unit 137 retrieves the master imagesand the contracted images stored on the image storage 140 for a desiredmaster image or a desired contracted image. The retrieval unit 137stores retrieval result data on the retrieval result storage 147.

The retrieval unit 137 contains a distance calculator 151. The distancecalculator 151 calculates a distance indicating the degree of similarityof the two images from the data representing the feature of the imagestored on the similar feature database 142. The distance calculator 151causes the similar result database 143 to record the calculated distancethereon.

By controlling the communication unit 79, the transmission controller138-1 causes the communication unit 79 to transmit the feature of theimage obtained as a result of image processing in the image analyzer 131to the digital still camera 11. By controlling the communication unit79, the reception controller 139-1 causes the communication unit 79 toreceives the master image and the contracted image transmitted from thedigital still camera 11.

The transmission controller 138-2 controls the communication unit 80.The transmission controller 138-2 causes the communication unit 80 totransmit a request for an image to one of the Web server 15-1 and theWeb server 15-2 via the network 14. By controlling the communicationunit 80, the reception controller 139-2 causes the communication unit 80to receive the master image and the contracted image transmitted fromone of the Web server 15-1 and the Web server 15-2.

The image storage 140, arranged in a recording space of the storage unit78 composed of a hard disk, records the master image and the contractedimage. The image storage 140 may be arranged in a recording space in theremovable medium 82, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, amagneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, loaded on the drive 81.

The content database 141, the similar feature database 142, the similarresult database 143 and the time group database 144 are composed ofpredetermined recording spaces in the storage unit 78 and databasemanagement systems thereof.

The content database 141 stores data identifying each image and avariety of metadata in association with the identifying data. Thesimilar feature database 142 stores data of the feature of the imageobtained as a result of image processing in the image analyzer 131.

The similar result database 113 stores a distance indicating the degreeof similarity between two images, calculated by the distance calculator151 in the retrieval unit 137.

When the user classifies the images into groups, the time group database144 stores information identifying an image belonging to each group.

The correspondence to relation level extractor storage 145 storescorrespondence information indicating correspondence between the colorname in the color feature extractor 172 and a relation level extractorextracting the relation level on a per color (as will be described indetail with reference to FIG. 33).

The extracted feature storage 146 stores the relation level under whichthe image is thought of by a predetermined color name. The relationlevel is extracted by the color feature extractor 172.

The retrieval result storage 147 stores retrieval results of the imagehaving a color corresponding to a weight. Retrieval operation has beenperformed in accordance with the relation level under which each imageis thought of by a particular color name, and in accordance with theweight of the color represented by a color name input by a useroperation. For example, the retrieval result storage 147 stores theretrieval results of the image of the color corresponding to the weight,retrieved under the relation level and the retrieval condition as theweight of the color represented by the color name.

The feature is extracted from the image, and the extracted feature isthen recorded on the server 13 and the digital still camera 11. Thisprocess is described below.

The image capturing process of the digital still camera 11 is describedbelow with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 7.

In step S11, the imaging controller 101 controls the imaging lens 31through the digital signal processor 36, the memory 38, the AF motor andzoom motor 44, and the control circuit 45, thereby capturing an image ofa subject. In step S12, the imaging controller 101 causes thecompressor/decompressor 41 to encode the digitals signal stored on thememory 38 in accordance with JPEG or JPEG 2000 standards, therebygenerating the master image as the video data. The imaging controller101 records the master image on the image storage 110.

The metadata generator 103 generates the metadata of the master image.For example, the metadata generator 103 generates the metadata embeddedin EXIF data standardized by the JEIDA. The metadata may include imagecapturing time of the master image or imaging condition, for example.

In step S13, the contracted image generator 102 reads the digital signalof the captured image from the memory 38, and contracts the capturedimage, thereby generating a contracted image. The contracted imagegenerator 102 causes the image storage 110 to record the contractedimage.

In step S14, the entry generator 104 generates the entries of the masterimage and the contracted image. The entry generator 104 associates thegenerated entries with the metadata generated by the metadata generator103, and then adds (stores) the entries on the content database 111 toend the process thereof.

Since the metadata such as the image capturing time and the imagingcondition is stored on the content database 111, the master image andthe contracted image are retrieved according to the image capturing timeand the imaging condition.

The cellular phone 12 performs the same image capturing process as theone shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7.

When one of the digital still camera 11 and the cellular phone 12captures an image as shown in FIG. 8, the metadata associated with amaster image 201 is stored on the content database 111 and a contractedimage 202 is generated from the master image 201. The metadata,associated with the master image 201 and stored on the content database111, is also associated with the contracted image 202.

A backup process of the server 13 is described below with reference to aflowchart of FIG. 9. In the backup process, an image captured by thedigital still camera 11 is backed up by the server 13. The backupprocess of the server 13 starts in response to the startup of theprogram when a universal serial bus (USB) with one end thereof connectedto the digital still camera 11 is connected to the server 13.

In step S31, the transmission controller 138-1 and the transmissioncontroller 138-2 in the server 13 are connected to the digital stillcamera 11 via the communication unit 79.

In step S32, the transmission controller 138-1 and the transmissioncontroller 138-2 in the server 13 causes the communication unit 79 toacquire the master image 201 and the contracted image 202 from thedigital still camera 11. For example, in step S32, the transmissioncontroller 138-1 causes the communication unit 79 to transmit atransmission request to the digital still camera 11 to transmit themaster image 201 and the contracted image 202. Since the digital stillcamera 11 transmits the master image 201 and the contracted image 202,the reception controller 139-1 causes the reception controller 139-1 toreceive the master image 201 and the contracted image 202 from thedigital still camera 11. The reception controller 139-1 supplies thereceived master image 201 and contracted image 202 to the image storage140.

In step S33, the image storage 140 records the master image 201 and thecontracted image 202 acquired from the digital still camera 11.

In step S34, the image analyzer 131 analyzes the image recorded on theimage storage 140.

The image analyzer 131 may analyze the master image 201 or thecontracted image 202.

The analysis process in step S34 is described more in detail withreference to a flowchart of FIG. 10.

In step S41, the face image detector 161 in the image analyzer 131detects a face image from the image. More specifically, in step S41, theface image detector 161 extracts the feature of the image as informationrelating to the face image contained in the image. In step S41, the faceimage detector 161 extracts the number of image faces contained in theimage, the position of each face image in the image, the size of theface image, and the direction in which the face image looks toward.

More specifically, the face image detector 161 identifies a pixel havinga pixel value indicating a color falling within a predetermined colorrange corresponding to the skin of a human. The face image detector 161then treats, as a face image, an area composed consecutive pixels of apredetermined number from among pixels identified by color.

The face image detector 161 counts the number of detected face images.When each of the overall height and overall width of the image is set tobe 1, the face image detector 161 detects as the position of the faceimage relative to the entire image a vertical position and a horizontalposition of the face image.

When each of the overall height and overall width of the image is set tobe 1, the face image detector 161 detects as the size of the face imagein the image the height and width of the face image relative to theentire image.

The face image detector 161 determines whether a selected image facematches one of a plurality of predefined patterns in each of assumeddirections of a face. The direction of the face is detected bydetermining a direction matching the pattern of the face image as thedirection of the face. In this case, the face image detector 161 detectsas the direction of the face of the selected face image a roll angle, apitch angle, and a yaw angle of the face.

In step S42, the similar feature vector calculator 171 in the similarfeature quantity extractor 162 in the image analyzer 131 calculates asimilar feature vector as a feature quantity in the determination of thedegree of similarity of the image. More specifically, in step S42, thesimilar feature vector calculator 171 extracts the features of the twoimages from which the degree of similarity of the two images iscalculated.

For example, the similar feature vector calculator 171 calculates thesimilar feature vector as a color histogram.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the similar feature vectorcalculator 171 generates reduces 167772161 colors of the 24 bit RGBmaster image 201 to 32 colors, thereby generating a reduced color image221 having 32 colors. In other words, 5 bit RGB reduced color image 221is produced. The similar feature vector calculator 171 extractspredetermined higher bits from the pixel values of the pixels of themaster image 201, thereby generating the reduced color image 221.

The similar feature vector calculator 171 converts each pixel color ofthe reduced color image 221 represented by RGB into a pixel colorrepresented in L*a*b*. The similar feature vector calculator 171identifies a position in the L*a*b* space representing the pixel colorof the reduced color image 221. In other words, any color (position inthe L*a*b* space) of the 32 colors represented by each pixel of thereduced color image 221 is identified.

The similar feature vector calculator 171 further determines the numberof pixels at each color of the 32 colors in the reduced color image 221,namely, the frequency of occurrence of each color, thereby producing acolor histogram. The scale of the color histogram represents a color andthe frequency of the color histogram represents the number of colorpixels.

For example, the similar feature vector calculator 171 calculates thesimilar feature vector as a vertical component histogram and ahorizontal component histogram.

As shown in FIG. 12, the similar feature vector calculator 171 segmentsthe master image 201 into blocks 241, each block 241 including 16 pixelsby 16 pixels. A discrete Fourier transform (DFT) process is performed onthe block 241 in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction.

More specifically, the similar feature vector calculator 171 performsthe DFT process on 16 pixels arranged in a vertical column of each block241, thereby extracting a frequency component of the image in the 16pixels in the vertical column. Since the block 241 includes 16 verticalcolumns, each vertical column including 16 pixels. The similar featurevector calculator 171 thus extracts frequency components of 16 images byperforming the DTF process on the block 241 in the vertical direction.

The similar feature vector calculator 171 sums the frequency componentsof the image as a result of performing the DTF process on the block 241in the vertical direction on a per frequency basis. The similar featurevector calculator 171 selects a maximum component from among eightlowest frequency components, except a DC component, of the valuessummed. If the maximum value is less than a predetermined threshold, theprocess result of the block 241 is discarded.

The similar feature vector calculator 171 sums each maximum valuedetermined in each block 241 every 8 frequencies in the image. As shownin FIGS. 13A and 13B, the similar feature vector calculator 171generates a vertical component histogram representing the frequency ofoccurrence of the maximum value every 8 frequencies. The scale of thevertical component histogram represents the frequency of the image, andthe frequency of occurrence in the vertical component histogramrepresents the number providing a maximum frequency component.

Similarly, the similar feature vector calculator 171 performs the DFTprocess on 16 pixels arranged in one row of the block 241, and extractsfrequency components of the image for the 16 pixels in one row. Sinceeach block 241 includes 16 rows, each row including 16 pixels, thesimilar feature vector calculator 171 extracts frequency components of16 images by performing the DFT process on the block 241 in a horizontaldirection.

The similar feature vector calculator 171 sums the frequency componentsof the images obtained as a result of performing the DFT process on theblock 241 in a horizontal direction. The similar feature vectorcalculator 171 sums the frequency components of the image as a result ofperforming the DTF process on the block 241 in the horizontal directionon a per frequency basis. The similar feature vector calculator 171selects a maximum component from among eight lowest frequencycomponents, except a DC component, of the values summed. If the maximumvalue is less than a predetermined threshold, the process result of theblock 241 is discarded.

The similar feature vector calculator 171 sums each maximum valuedetermined in each block 241 every 8 frequencies in the image. As shownin FIGS. 13A and 13B, the similar feature vector calculator 171generates a horizontal component histogram representing the frequency ofoccurrence of the maximum value every 8 frequencies. The scale of thehorizontal component histogram represents the frequency of the image,and the frequency of occurrence in the horizontal component histogramrepresents the number providing a maximum frequency component.

In this way, the similar feature vector calculator 171 generates thevertical component histogram and the horizontal component histogram forthe image.

In step S42, the similar feature vector calculator 171 extracts thecolor histogram, the vertical component histogram and the horizontalcomponent histogram as the features of the two images from which thedegree of similarity of the two images is calculated.

Returning to FIG. 10, in step S43, the color feature extractor 172 inthe similar feature quantity extractor 162 in the image analyzer 131performs the color feature extraction process on the image, therebyending the process. Through the color feature extraction process, therelation level under which the image is thought of in response to apredetermined color name is extracted from the image based on the colorof the pixels of the image. The color feature extraction process will bedescribed later with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 36.

In step S34, the image analyzer 131 analyzes the image recorded on theimage storage 140 and extracts the feature of the image.

In step S35, the metadata generator 133 generates the metadatacontaining the feature of the image extracted in step S34. In step S36,the entry generator 134 generates the entries of the master image 201and the contracted image 202. The entry generator 134 associates thegenerated entries with the metadata generated in step S35, and adds(stores) the entries on the content database 141 and the similar featuredatabase 142. The content database 141 and the similar feature database142 record the metadata containing the feature of the image extracted inthe server 13.

In step S37, the transmission controller 138-1 causes the communicationunit 79 to record the metadata containing the feature of the image onthe content database 111 and the similar feature database 112 in thedigital still camera 11. More specifically, in step S37, thetransmission controller 138-1 causes the communication unit 79 totransmit to the digital still camera 11 a command to write to thecontent database 111 and the similar feature database 112 and themetadata generated in step S35. When the communication unit 47 receivesthe metadata and the command to write to the content database 111 andthe similar feature database 112, the reception controller 109 suppliesto the content database 111 and the similar feature database 112 themetadata and the command to write to the content database 111 and thesimilar feature database 112. Upon receiving the command to write, thecontent database 111 and the similar feature database 112 records themetadata containing the feature of the image extracted in the server 13.

The content database 141 and the similar feature database 142 and thecontent database 111 and the similar feature database 112 record thesame metadata containing the feature of the image extracted in theserver 13.

In step S38, the transmission controller 138-1 and the receptioncontroller 139-1 in the server 13 cause the communication unit 79 tobreak connection with the digital still camera 11 to end the processthereof.

The server 13 can perform on the image captured by the cellular phone 12the same backup process as the one shown in FIG. 9.

When the image captured by one of the digital still camera 11 and thecellular phone 12 is backed up by one of the server 13-1 and the server13-2 as shown in FIG. 14, the server 13-1 and the server 13-2 analyzethe backed up images, extract the features of the images, and overwriteone of the digital still camera 11 and the cellular phone 12 withmetadata 261 containing the feature of the image extracted.

FIG. 15 illustrates a specific example of the metadata 261 thatdescribes the extracted feature of the image and is associated with themaster image 201 and the contracted image 202.

The metadata 261 is described in eXtensible Mark-up Language (XML), forexample.

Information associated with the master image 201 and the contractedimage 202 and information indicating the feature of the master image 201and the contracted image 202 are arranged between a <photo> tag and a</photo> tag.

A content ID as identification information identifying the master image201 and the contracted image 202 associated with the metadata 261 isarranged between a <guid> tag and a </guid> tag. For example, thecontent ID is 128 bits long. The content ID is common to the masterimage 201 and the contracted image 202 derived from the master image201.

A path of a file containing the master image 201 as the video data and afile name of the file containing the master image 201 are arrangedbetween a <FullImgPath> tag and a </FullImgPath> tag. A path of a filecontaining the contracted image 202 as the video data and a file name ofthe file containing the contracted image 202 are arranged between a<CacheImgPath> tag and </CacheImgPath> tag.

Timestamp 2003:03:31 06:52:32 arranged between a <TimeStamp> tag and a</TimeStamp> tag means that the master image 201 was captured at6:52:32, Mar. 31, 2003.

Information relating the face image contained in the master image 201and the contracted image 202 identified by the content ID is arrangedbetween a <Faceinfo> tag and a </Faceinfo> tag.

One arranged between a <TotalFace> tag and a </TotalFace> tag means thatthe number of face images contained in one of the master image 201 andthe contracted image 202 identified by the content ID is one. Morespecifically, the value arranged between the <TotalFace> tag and the</TotalFace> tag indicates the number of face images contained in one ofthe master image 201 and the contracted image 202 identified by thecontent ID.

Information relating to one face image is arranged between a <FaceEntry>tag and a </FaceEntry> tag. Since the number of face images in themetadata 261 shown in FIG. 15 is one, a pair of <FaceEntry> tag and</FaceEntry> tag is arranged.

A value arranged between a <x> tag and a </x> tag indicates a positionof the face image in the horizontal direction in one of the master image201 and the contracted image 202 identified by the content ID. As shownin FIG. 15, 0.328767 between the <x> tag and the </x> tag indicates thatthe right end position of the face image in the horizontal direction is0.328767 with the left end of one of the master image 201 and thecontracted image 202 at 0.0 and the right end of one of the master image201 and the contracted image 202 at 1.0.

A value arranged between a <y> tag and a </y> tag indicates a positionof the face image in a vertical direction in one of the master image 201and the contracted image 202 identified by the content ID. As shown inFIG. 15, 0.204082 between the <y> tag and the </y> tag indicates thatthe right end position of the face image in the horizontal direction is0.204082 with the upper end of one of the master image 201 and thecontracted image 202 at 0.0 and the lower end of one of the master image201 and the contracted image 202 at 1.0.

More specifically, a normalized horizontal position of the face image isarranged between the <x> tag and the </x> tag, and a normalized verticalposition of the face image is arranged between the <y> tag and the </y>tag.

A value arranged between a <width> tag and a </width> tag indicates awidth of the face image (a size in the horizontal direction) in one ofthe master image 201 and the contracted image 202 identified by thecontent ID. As shown in FIG. 15, 0.408163 between the <width> tag andthe </width> tag shows that the width of the face image is 0.408163 withthe width of one of the master image 201 and the contracted image 202being 1.0.

A value arranged a <height> tag and a </height> tag indicates a heightof the face image in one of the master image 201 and the contractedimage 202 identified by the content ID (a size in the verticaldirection). As shown in FIG. 15, 0.273973 between the <height> tag andthe </height> tag shows that the height of the face image is 0.273973with the height of the one of the master image 201 and the contractedimage 202 being 1.0.

More specifically, a normalized width of the face image is arrangedbetween the <width> tag and the </width> tag, and a normalized height ofthe face image is arranged between the <height> tag and the </height>tag.

A value arranged between a <roll> tag and a </roll> tag is a roll angleof the face image. As shown in FIG. 15, 0.000000 between the <roll> tagand the </roll> tag shows that the roll angle of the face image is0.000000 degree.

A value arranged between a <pitch> tag and a </pitch> tag is a pitchangle of the face image. As shown in FIG. 15, 0.000000 between the<pitch> tag and the </pitch> shows that the pitch angle of the faceimage is 0.000000 degree.

A value arranged between a <yaw> tag and a </yaw> tag is a yaw angle ofthe face image. As shown in FIG. 15, 0.000000 between the <yaw> tag andthe </yaw> tag shows that the yaw angle of the face image is 0.000000degree.

The roll angle is an angle made with respect to a fore-aft axis (x axis)representing the position of the face in a fore-aft direction. The pitchangle is an angle made with respect to a horizontal axis (y axis)representing the position of the face in a right-left lateral direction.The yaw angle is an angle made with respect to a vertical axis (z axis)representing the position of the face in a vertical direction.

Arranged between a <Similarityinfo> tag and a </Similarityinfo> tag is afeature quantity of one of the master image 201 and the contracted image202 identified by the content ID. The feature quantity is used whensimilarity between one of the master image 201 and the contracted image202 identified by the content ID and another image is determined.

As shown in FIG. 15, the relation level and the feature quantity arearranged between the <Similarityinfo> tag and the </Similarityinfo> tag.The relation level indicates the degree of association under which oneof the master image 201 and the contracted image 202 is thought of inresponse to a predetermined color name, and the feature quantity is usedto calculate the degree of similarity of color or the frequencycomponent of the image.

A relation level, arranged between a <Colorinfo> tag and a </Colorinfo>tag, indicates the degree of association under which one of the masterimage 201 and the contracted image 202 is thought of in response to aparticular color name based on the colors of the pixels of the one ofthe master image 201 and the contracted image 202 extracted from the oneof the master image 201 and the contracted image 202 identified by thecontent ID.

A relation level, arranged between a <ColorWhite> tag and a</ColorWhite> tag, indicates the degree of association under which oneof the master image 201 and the contracted image 202 is thought of inresponse to a color name of white extracted from the colors of thepixels of the one of the master image 201 and the contracted image 202identified by the content ID. As shown in FIG. 15, 0 between the<ColorWhite> tag and the </ColorWhite> tag shows that the relation levelindicating the degree of association under which one of the master image201 and the contracted image 202 is thought of in response to the colorname of white is 0.

A relation level, arranged between a <ColorBlack> tag and a</ColorBlack> tag, indicates the degree of association under which oneof the master image 201 and the contracted image 202 is thought of inresponse to a color name of white extracted from the colors of thepixels of the one of the master image 201 and the contracted image 202identified by the content ID. As shown in FIG. 15, 0 between the<ColorBlack> tag and the </ColorBlack> tag shows that the relation levelindicating the degree of association under which one of the master image201 and the contracted image 202 is thought of in response to the colorname of black is 0.

A relation level, arranged between a <ColorRed> tag and a </ColorRed>tag, indicates the degree of association under which one of the masterimage 201 and the contracted image 202 is thought of in response to acolor name of red extracted from the colors of the pixels of the one ofthe master image 201 and the contracted image 202 identified by thecontent ID. As shown in FIG. 15, 0 between the <ColorRed> tag and the</ColorRed> tag shows that the relation level indicating the degree ofassociation under which one of the master image 201 and the contractedimage 202 is thought of in response to the color name of red is 0.

A relation level, arranged between a <ColorYellow> tag and a</ColorYellow> tag, indicates the degree of association under which oneof the master image 201 and the contracted image 202 is thought of inresponse to a color name of yellow extracted from the colors of thepixels of the one of the master image 201 and the contracted image 202identified by the content ID. As shown in FIG. 15, 0 between the<ColorYellow> tag and the </ColorYellow> tag shows that the relationlevel indicating the degree of association under which one of the masterimage 201 and the contracted image 202 is thought of in response to thecolor name of yellow is 0.

A relation level, arranged between a <ColorGreen> tag and a</ColorGreen> tag, indicates the degree of association under which oneof the master image 201 and the contracted image 202 is thought of inresponse to a color name of green extracted from the colors of thepixels of the one of the master image 201 and the contracted image 202identified by the content ID. As shown in FIG. 15, 12 between the<ColorWhite> tag and the </ColorWhite> tag shows that the relation levelindicating the degree of association under which one of the master image201 and the contracted image 202 is thought of in response to the colorname of green is 0.12. The relation level is represented in percentage.

A relation level, arranged between a <ColorBlue> tag and a </ColorBlue>tag, indicates the degree of association under which one of the masterimage 201 and the contracted image 202 is thought of in response to acolor name of blue extracted from the colors of the pixels of the one ofthe master image 201 and the contracted image 202 identified by thecontent ID. As shown in FIG. 15, 0 between the <ColorBlue> tag and the</ColorBlue> tag shows that the relation level indicating the degree ofassociation under which one of the master image 201 and the contractedimage 202 is thought of in response to the color name of blue is 0.

Arranged between a <VectorInfo> tag and a </VectorInfo> tag is a featureof one of the master image 201 and the contracted image 202 identifiedby the content ID to determine the degree of similarity between the oneof the master image 201 and the contracted image 202 identified by thecontent ID and another image.

A single feature of each of the master image 201 and the contractedimage 202 identified by the content ID is arranged between a pair of<VectorInfo> tag and </VectorInfo> tag. In the metadata 261 of FIG. 15,three pairs of <VectorInfo> tag and </VectorInfo> tag are described.

A <method> tag and a </method> tag and a <vector> tag and a </vector>tag are arranged between each pair of <VectorInfo> tag and </VectorInfo>tag. The method of feature is described between the <method> tag and the</method> tag, and the feature quantity thereof is described between a<vector> tag and a </vector> tag. The feature quantity described betweenthe <vector> tag and the </vector> tag is a vector quantity.

A color feature described between the <method> tag and the </method> tagarranged between the topmost <VectorInfo> tag and the </VectorInfo> tagon the top in FIG. 15 shows that the feature quantity arranged betweenthe subsequent <vector> tag and </vector> tag is a color featurequantity. The color feature quantity is the one shown in the colorhistogram discussed with reference to FIG. 11.

As shown in FIG. 15, a text feature arranged between a <method> tag anda </method> tag between the second <VectorInfo> tag and <VectorInfo> tagfrom the top shows that a feature quantity between subsequent <vector>and </vector> is a feature quantity of pattern. The feature quantity ofpattern is the one represented by the histograms of frequencycomponents, namely, the vertical component histogram and the horizontalcomponent histogram discussed with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13.

The whole metadata 261 is stored on the content database 111 and thesimilar feature database 112 in the digital still camera 11 and on thecontent database 141 and the similar feature database 142 in the server13. More specifically, the metadata 261 is appropriately segmented withpart thereof stored on the content database 111 and the remaining partthereof stored on the similar feature database 112. In the server 13,the same part of the metadata 261, stored on the content database 111,is also stored on the content database 141, and the same part of themetadata 261, stored on the similar feature database 112, is also storedon the similar feature database 142.

FIG. 16 illustrates the structure of the metadata stored one of thecontent database 111 and the content database 141.

The metadata stored on one of the content database 111 and the contentdatabase 141 includes a content ID, image capturing time, path name,file name, group ID, information relating to a face image contained inthe image (hereinafter referred to as face image information), label ID,and comment.

The content ID, unique to an image, identifies the image. The content IDidentifies the master image 201 and the contracted image 202. Thecontent ID is a GUID property and described in a character string. Theimage capturing time indicating date and time at which the image wascaptured is described in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or local time.The image capturing time described the Coordinated Universal Time isidentical to image capturing time (UTC) embedded in Date Time Originaldata in EXIF format.

The image capturing time described in local time is date property, anddescribed in date format. The image capturing time described in localtime is identical to image capturing time (local time) embedded in DateTime Original data in EXIF format.

The path name, such as ms/CDIM/XXXXX/, indicates a directory name (filename) of a file of the master image 201. The path name is a pathproperty, and described in a character string.

The file name, such as DSC00001.JPG, indicates a name of a filecontaining the master image 201 as the video data. The file name is aDCFname property, and described in a character string.

The path name and the file name of the contracted image 202, such as/DATA/EVENTTIMAGE/000000000001.JPG, indicate a directory name and a filename of a file of the contracted image 202. The path name and the filename of the contracted image 202 are vgaCachePath property, and writtenin a character string.

The group ID identifies a group to which an image belongs. The imagesare categorized by the user into desired groups. The group ID identifiesa group of categorized images. For example, images are categorized byevent (such as travel, athletic festivals, etc.), images captured ateach event are categorized into a group corresponding to the event.

The group ID is a groupID property and described in a numerical string.

For example, the face image information indicates whether the image is apicture of landscape (containing no face image), a picture of smallnumber of persons (one to five persons), or a picture of a large numberof persons (six persons or more). If the face image information is 1,the image is a picture of landscape. If the face image information is 2,the image is a picture of a small number of persons. If the face imageinformation is 3, the image is a picture of a large number of persons.The face image information is faceExistence property, and described in anumerical string.

The face image information may indicate the number of face imagescontained in the image, the position of the face image in the image, thesize of the face image, and the direction toward which the face looks.

The label ID indicates a label attached to the image. The label ID islabels property and described in a numerical string.

The comment is a comment property and described in a character string.

Protect state indicates the protect state of the image, such as deletedor added. The protect state is a protect property and described in alogical data string.

Exchange/import flag indicates whether the image is exchanged orimported. The exchange/import flag is a exchangeOrImport property anddescribed in a logical data string.

A meta enable flag, which is true, indicates that the server 13generates the metadata from the image. The meta enable flag is ametaEnableFlag property and described in a logical data string.

A backup flag, which is true, indicates that the server 13 backs up theimage. The backup flag is a backUpFlag property and described in alogical data string.

FIG. 17 illustrates the structure of a metadata portion stored on thedigital still camera 11 and a metadata portion stored on the similarfeature database 112.

A content item is stored on the content database 111 on a per imagebasis. The content item is composed part of the metadata 261.

For example, a content item 281-1 corresponds to one image identified bya stored content ID, and contains the content ID, the path name and thefile name of the master image 201 (Path in FIG. 17), the path name andthe file name of the contracted image 202, the group ID, the imagecapturing time in local time format, and the face image information. Acontent item 281-2, corresponding to another image, contains the contentID, the path name and the file name of the master image 201 (Path inFIG. 17), the path name and the file name of the contracted image 202,the group ID, the image capturing time in local time format, and theface image information.

If there is no need for discriminating between the content items 281-1and 281-2, the content item is simply referred to as the content item281.

A similar feature item is stored on the similar feature database 112 ona per image basis. The similar feature item contains a portion of themetadata 261 excluding the content item 281. The similar feature itemcontains the content ID.

A content item 282-1 corresponds to the content item 281-1 identified bythe stored content ID, i.e., corresponds to one image identified by thestored content ID. The content item 282-1 is composed of the content ID,the color histogram, and the frequency component histograms.

The color histogram indicates the frequency of occurrence of each of the32 colors in the image, and is a histogram property. The frequencycomponent histograms contain a vertical component histogram and ahorizontal component histogram, and indicate the frequency of occurrenceof a maximum value of a frequency component of the eight frequencies ineach of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the imageand are texture property.

Similarly, a content item 282-2 corresponds to the content item 281-2identified by the stored content ID, i.e., corresponds to one imageidentified by the stored content ID. The content item 282-1 is composedof the content ID, the color histogram, and the frequency componenthistograms.

If there is no need for discriminating between the content items 282-1and 282-2, the content item is simply referred to as the content item282.

The content item 282, corresponding to the content item 281 stored onthe content database 111, is stored on the similar feature database 112.

FIG. 18 illustrates the structure of the content item 282. The contentitem 282 contains an item 291, items 292-1 through 292-32, and an item293. The item 291 contains a content ID, pointers pointing to the items292-1 through 292-32, and a pointer pointing to the item 293. Thepointers pointing to the items 292-1 through 292-32 correspond to thecolor histogram. The pointer pointing to the item 293 corresponds to thefrequency component histogram.

The items 292-1 through 292-32 respectively indicate the frequencies ofoccurrence of the color histogram, i.e., each color represented byL*a*b* and a ratio of an area of the image occupied by that color to theimage (for example, the number of pixels of each of the 32 colors). Theitem 292-1 indicates, as one of the 32 colors, a first color representedby L*a*b* and an occupancy ratio of the image occupied by the firstcolor to the image. The item 292-2 indicates, as one of the 32 colors, asecond color represented by L*a*b* and an occupancy ratio of the imageoccupied by the second color to the image.

The items 292-3 through 292-32, each color respectively represented byL*a*b*, include third through thirty-second colors of the 32 colors, andrespectively represent occupancy ratios of the third throughthirty-second colors in the image.

The items 292-1 through 292-32 generally represent the color histogramof a single image. The color histogram may be represented by a colorfeature vector Cv. The color feature vector Cv may be represented asCv={(c1,r1), . . . , (c32,r32)}. Each of (c1,r1) through (c32,r32)represents an occupancy ratio of the image by each of the 32 colorsrepresented by c1 through c32.

The item 293 indicates the vertical component histogram and thehorizontal component histogram. Each of the vertical component histogramand the horizontal component histogram shows eight frequencies ofoccurrence.

The frequency component histogram composed of the vertical componenthistogram and the horizontal component histogram may be represented by afrequency component vector Tv. The frequency component vector Tv may bedescribed as Tv={(t1,1), . . . , (t8,1), (t9,1), . . . , (t16,1)}. Eachof (t1,1) through (t16,1) represents the maximum number (occurrence) ofthe frequency component represented by any of t1 through t16.

An image acquisition process of the server 13 is described below withreference to a flowchart of FIG. 19. In the image acquisition process,the server 13 acquires an image from one of the Web server 15-1, the Webserver 15-2, and another device.

In step S61, the transmission controller 138-2 and the receptioncontroller 139-2 in the server 13 cause the communication unit 80 toacquire the master image 201 from the Web server 15-1 via the network14.

For example, in step S61, the transmission controller 138-2 and thereception controller 139-2 cause the communication unit 80 to connect tothe Web server 15-1 via the network 14. The transmission controller138-2 causes the communication unit 80 to transmit to the Web server15-1 via the network 14 a request to transmit the master image 201. TheWeb server 15-1 transmits the requested master image 201 via the network14. The transmission controller 138-2 causes the communication unit 80to receive the master image 201 transmitted by the Web server 15-1. Thetransmission controller 138-2 supplies the received master image 201 tothe image storage 140.

In step S62, the contracted image generator 132 generates a contractedimage 202 from the received master image 201. For example, thecontracted image generator 132 generates the contracted image 202 fromthe master image 201 by decimating the pixels of the master image 201.Alternatively, the contracted image generator 132 may generate thecontracted image 202 by averaging a plurality of consecutive pixels ofthe master image 201 and representing the plurality of consecutivepixels by the single average pixel value.

The contracted image generator 132 supplies the generated contractedimage 202 to the image storage 140.

In step S63, the image storage 140 records the received master image 201and the contracted image 202 generated by the contracted image generator132.

The contracted image generator 132 may read the master image 201 fromthe image storage 140 and generate the contracted image 202 from theread master image 201.

In step S64, the image analyzer 131 analyzes the image recorded on theimage storage 140. The image analysis process in step S64 is identicalto the process discussed with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 10, andthe discussion thereof is omitted here.

In step S65, the metadata generator 133 generates the metadata of theimage containing the feature of the image extracted in step S64. In stepS66, the entry generator 134 generates the entries of the master image201 and the contracted image 202. The entry generator 134 associates thegenerated entries with the metadata generated in step S65, and thenstores the entries onto the similar feature database 142 (and thesimilar feature database 142).

In step S67, the transmission controller 138-1 and the receptioncontroller 139-1 cause the communication unit 79 to connect to thedigital still camera 11.

In step S68, the retrieval unit 137 selects a contracted image 202 to betransferred to the digital still camera 11 from among the contractedimages 202 recorded on the image storage 140, based on the datatransmitted from the digital still camera 11. The retrieval unit 137reads the selected contracted image 202 from the image storage 140, andsupplies the read contracted image 202 to the transmission controller138-1.

In step S69, the transmission controller 138-1 causes the communicationunit 79 to transmit the selected contracted image 202 to the digitalstill camera 11.

In step S70, the transmission controller 138-1 causes the communicationunit 79 to record the feature of the image, as the metadata of thetransmitted contracted image 202, on the content database 111 and thesimilar feature database 112 in the digital still camera 11 in the samemanner as in step S37.

In step S72, the transmission controller 138-1 and the receptioncontroller 139-1 in the server 13 cause the communication unit 79 todisconnect the link with the digital still camera 11. Processing thusends.

As shown in FIG. 20, one of the server 13-1 and the server 13-2 acquiresthe master image 201 from one of the Web server 15-1, the Web server15-2, and another device via the network 14, and records the acquiredmaster image 201. One of the server 13-1 and the server 13-2 generates acontracted image 202 from the master image 201, and analyzes the masterimage 201 in order to extract the feature of the master image 201. Oneof the server 13-1 and the server 13-2 writes the contracted image 202together with the metadata 261 containing the extracted feature of themaster image 201 onto one of the digital still camera 11 and thecellular phone 12.

A retrieval process of the digital still camera 11 is described belowwith reference to a flowchart of FIG. 21. In step S81, the retrievalunit 107 selects metadata to be used for retrieval from among themetadata stored on one of the digital still camera 11 and the cellularphone 12. For example, the retrieval unit 107 selects between a relationlevel and a feature as the metadata for use in retrieval. The relationlevel indicates the degree of association under which the image isthought of in response to the image capturing time, the imagingcondition, the face image information, and a predetermined color basedon a signal coming from the input unit 49 when the user operates theinput unit 49. The feature is the one used to calculate the degree ofsimilarity of color, or the frequency component of the image.

In step S81, in response to the signal from the input unit 49 operatedby the user, the retrieval unit 107 selects a range of retrieval in theretrieval of one of the master image 201 and the contracted image 202recorded on the image storage 110.

In step S82, the retrieval unit 107 acquires a retrieval start commandas a signal supplied from the input unit 49 operated by the user.

In step S83, the retrieval unit 107 reads successively the metadata 261of the one of the master image 201 and the contracted image 202 withinthe retrieval range from one of the content database 111 and the similarfeature database 112.

In step S84, the retrieval unit 107 determines whether the metadata 261is present, i.e., whether the metadata 261 is null. If it is determinedin step S84 that the metadata 261 is present, processing proceeds tostep S85. The retrieval unit 107 generates retrieval result displaycontrol data from the metadata 261.

In step S85, the metadata as a vector indicating the feature used tocalculate the degree of similarity of the frequency component of thecolor or the image is used. More specifically, based on the metadata,the retrieval unit 107 calculates a distance of the vector based on themetadata as the vector of the selected image (serving as a referenceimage), and the metadata as the vector of the image within the retrievalrange. The retrieval unit 107 thus generates the distance of the vectoras the retrieval result display control data.

The smaller the distance of the vector, the more the images looksimilar. Using the retrieval result display control data as the distanceof vector, a more similar image is read, and the images are thendisplayed in the order of similarity.

In step S85, the retrieval unit 107 compares the relation level with aninput threshold value based on the metadata as the relation levelindicating the degree of association under which the image is thought ofin response to the predetermined color, and generates retrieval resultdisplay control data having a relation level higher than the inputthreshold value.

Using the retrieval result display control data having a relation levelhigher than the input threshold value, an image having a higher degreeof association in response to a color name, i.e., an image having morecomponent of that color is read. Only the images having the color ofthat color name are thus displayed.

For example, the retrieval unit 107 calculates the retrieval resultdisplay control data by calculating the distance between the inputthreshold value and the relation level based on the metadata as therelation level indicating the degree of association under whichassociation is created in response to the predetermined color name.

Using the retrieval result display control data, i.e., the distancebetween the input threshold value and the relation level, an imagehaving a desired amount of color component of a desired color name isread and then displayed.

The retrieval result display control data contains the content ID, andthe content ID is used to identify one of the master image 201 and thecontracted image 202 corresponding to the retrieval result displaycontrol data.

In step S86, the retrieval unit 107 stores the generated retrievalresult display control data on the retrieval result storage 115.

In step S87, the retrieval unit 107 determines whether all master images201 or all contracted images 202 within the retrieval range areprocessed. If it is determined in step S87 that all master images 201 orall contracted images 202 within the retrieval range are not processed,processing returns to step S83. The retrieval unit 107 reads themetadata 261 of one of a next master image 201 and a next contractedimage 202 within the retrieval range from one of the content database111 and the similar feature database 112 to repeat the above-describedprocess.

If it is determined in step S84 that the metadata 261 is not present,i.e., that the metadata 261 is null, processing returns to step S83. Thesearcher 107 reads the metadata 261 of one of a next master image 201and a next contracted image 202 within the retrieval range from one ofthe content database 111 and the similar feature database 112, andrepeats the above-described process.

If it is determined in step S87 that all master images 201 or allcontracted images 202 within the retrieval range are processed,processing proceeds to step S88. The display controller 106 reads theretrieval result display control data from the retrieval result storage115. In step S89, the display controller 106 reads one of the masterimage 201 and the contracted image 202 from the image storage 110 basedon the retrieval result display control data, and displays the one ofthe master image 201 and the contracted image 202. Processing thus ends.

If the retrieval result display control data as the distance of vectorindicating the feature used to calculate the degree of similarity of thefrequency component of the color or the image is generated in step S85,the display controller 106 displays on the monitor 40 one of the masterimage 201 and the contracted image 202 in the order of similarity withrespect to a reference image in step S89.

If the retrieval result display control data indicating that therelation level as the degree of association thought of in response tothe predetermined color name is above the input threshold value in stepS85, the display controller 106 displays on the monitor 40 one of themaster image 201 and the contracted image 202 containing more color ofthat color name in step S89.

If the retrieval result display control data as the distance between therelation level indicating the degree of association thought of inresponse to the predetermined color name and the input threshold valueis generated in step S85, the display controller 106 displays on themonitor 40 one of the master image 201 and the contracted image 202containing a desired amount of color of a desired color name in stepS89.

The cellular phone 12 performs the same retrieval process as the onediscussed with reference to the frequency component histogram of FIG.21. The server 13 performs the same retrieval process as the onediscussed with reference to the frequency component histogram of FIG.21.

As shown in FIG. 22, the contracted image 202 is retrieved based on themetadata 261 stored on the content database 111 and the similar featuredatabase 112 in one of the digital still camera 11 and the cellularphone 12 in the same manner such that the master image 201 is retrievedbased on the metadata 261 stored on the content database 141 and thesimilar feature database 142 in one of the server 13-1 and the server13-2.

The specific retrieval process of the digital still camera 11 isdescribed below.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart illustrating another retrieval process of thedigital still camera 11. In step S101, the display controller 106 causesthe contracted image 202 to be displayed in time series sequence on themonitor 40. More specifically, in step S101, the image storage 110supplies to the display controller 106 the contracted image 202 within apredetermined range responsive to a signal from the input unit 49operated by the user, out of the recorded contracted image 202. Thecontent database 111 supplies to the display controller 106 the metadataat the image capturing time, out of the metadata 261 of the contractedimage 202 within the predetermined range supplied from the displaycontroller 106. The display controller 106 causes the monitor 40 todisplay the contracted image 202 by the image capturing time in timeseries image capturing order.

As shown in FIG. 24, the display controller 106 causes the monitor 40 todisplay the contracted image 202 in time series order of image capturingon a per group basis. Each group is identified by a group ID. Eachsquare on the right of FIG. 24 indicates one contracted image 202, and anumber in each square indicates an image capturing order. The displaycontroller 106 displays contracted images 202 on the monitor 40 in theorder of image capture in a raster scan sequence on a per group basis.

In step S101, the image storage 110 may cause clustered images on themonitor 40.

Images p1 through p12 captured at times t1 through t12, respectively,are now clustered. For example, condition A and condition B are set in aclustering process. From the condition A, one cluster is composed ofimage p1 through image p12. The condition A defines a low granularity(coarse) cluster, and the condition B defines a high granularity (fine)cluster. The condition B is higher in granularity than the condition A.For example, an event name “wedding ceremony” is set in the clusterdefined by the condition A.

In the cluster with the event name “wedding ceremony” set, the degree ofvariations in time intervals of image capturing times of image issmaller than a predetermined threshold value.

From images p1 through p12, the condition B defines one cluster ofimages p1 through p3, another cluster of images p4 through p7, and yetanother cluster of images p8 through p12.

A “ceremony at church” is set in the cluster composed of images p1through p3, an “entertainment for wedding” is set in the cluster ofcomposed of images p4 through p7, and a “second party” is set in thecluster composed of images p8 through p12.

The degree of variations in time intervals of image capturing times ofimage is small between the images p1 through p3 in the cluster havingthe event name “ceremony at church.” There occurs a relatively long timeinterval from image p3 to image p4, which is the first image of a nextcluster composed of images p4 through p7 having a low degree ofvariations in time interval of image capturing times (in time axis).During the time interval between image p3 and image p4, the frequency ofoccurrence is determined to change.

In the cluster with the event name “entertainment for wedding” settherein, the degree of variations in time interval of image capturingtimes is small between images p4 through p7. There occurs a relativelylong time interval from image p7 to image p8, which is the first imageof a next cluster composed of images p8 through p12 having a low degreeof variations in time interval of image capturing times (in time axis).During the time interval between image p7 and image p8, the frequency ofoccurrence is determined to change.

In the cluster with the event name “second party” set therein, thedegree of variations in time interval of image capturing times is smallbetween images p8 through p12. There occurs a relatively long timeinterval from image p12 to a next image, which is the first image of anext cluster having a low degree of variations in time interval of imagecapturing times (in time axis). During the time interval between imagep12 and the next image, the frequency of occurrence is determined tochange.

The event names the “wedding ceremony,” the “ceremony at church,” the“entertainment for wedding,” and the “second party” are manually set bythe user, for example.

A plurality of conditions is set to cluster images and clusters ofdifferent granularity levels are defined based on the conditions.

Images contained in each cluster thus defined are presented to the userin a layered structure.

In step S101, the image storage 110 may cause the monitor 40 to segmenta display area into partitions by date, and display the contracted image202 in a predetermined partition so that the data assigned to thepartition matches the date of image capture. More specifically, in stepS101, the image storage 110 displays the contracted image 202 in acalendar format.

In step S102, the retrieval unit 107 selects one contracted image 202from the contracted images 202 displayed on the monitor 40 based on thesignal from the monitor 40 operated by the user.

When any of the contracted images 202 displayed in a time series formatis selected, the display controller 106 highlights the selectedcontracted image 202 or enhances the outline of the selected contractedimage 202 as shown in FIG. 24.

When any of the contracted images 202 displayed in a time series formatis selected, the display controller 106 expands the selected contractedimage 202 on the monitor 40 as shown in FIG. 25.

In step S103, the retrieval unit 107 retrieves a similar image.

FIG. 26 is a flowchart illustrating a similar image retrieval processperformed in step S103. In step S131, the retrieval unit 107 receives asignal from the input unit 49 operated by the user, and thus acquires asimilarity retrieval instruction by selecting a “similarity retrieval”item in a menu displayed on the monitor 40.

In step S132, the retrieval unit 107 receives a retrieval startinstruction by receiving a signal from the monitor 40 operated by theuser.

In step S133, the retrieval unit 107 reads a similar feature vectorcorresponding to a content ID of the contracted image 202 selected instep S102 from the similar feature database 112. The similar featurevector is one of a color feature vector Cv and a frequency componentvector Tv.

In step S134, the retrieval unit 107 reads a similar feature vectorcorresponding to a content ID of one contracted image 202 within aretrieval range from the similar feature database 112.

If the similar feature vector as the color feature vector Cv is read instep S133, a similar feature vector as a color feature vector Cv is readin step S134. If the similar feature vector as the frequency componentvector Tv is read in step S133, a similar feature vector as a frequencycomponent vector Tv is read in step S134.

In step S135, the retrieval unit 107 calculates a distance between thesimilar feature vector of the contracted image 202 within the retrievalrange and the similar feature vector of the selected contracted image202.

Calculation of the distance between a color feature vectorCv1={(c1_1,r1_1), . . . , (c32_1,r32_1)} and a color feature vectorCv2={(c1_2,r1_2), . . . , (c32_2,r32_2)}, each having 32 elements, isdescribed below.

The concept of ground distance d_(ij)=d(c1i,c2j) is introduced here. Theground distance d_(u) defines a distance between elements of a colorfeature vector, and is an Euclidean distance between two colors(distance in three-axis L*a*b* space). The ground distance d_(ij) isthus described as dij=∥c1i−c2j∥.

An earth movers distance (EMD) between the color feature vector Cv1 andthe color feature vector Cv2 is calculated by solving a transportproblem of determining a flow F={Fji} from the color feature vector Cv1to the color feature vector Cv2. Here, the color feature vector Cv1 is asupplier, the color feature vector Cv2 is a market, and d_(ij) is unittransport cost.

EMD is calculated from equation (1) by dividing an optimum value of thetransport problem (a minimum value of overall transport cost) by thenumber of flows and normalizing the quotient.

$\begin{matrix}{{{EMD} = \frac{\min{\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{32}\;{\sum\limits_{j = 1}^{32}\;{d_{ij}F_{ij}}}}}{\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{32}\;{\sum\limits_{j = 1}^{32}\; F_{ij}}}}{then}{{\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{32}\;{\sum\limits_{j = 1}^{32}\; F_{ij}}} = {\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{32}\;{r_{1{\_ i}}{\sum\limits_{i = 1}^{32}\; r_{2{\_ i}}}}}}} & (1)\end{matrix}$

EMD calculated by equation (1) is the distance between the color featurevector Cv1 and the color feature vector Cv2.

The distance of the frequency component vectors Tv is determined in thesame way as the distance of the color feature vectors Cv.

Weight We may be determined for the distance of the color feature vectorCv and weight Wt may be determined for the distance of the frequencycomponent vector Tv, and the final distance may be calculated usingequation (2).distance=EMD_(color) ×w _(c)+EMD_(texture) ×w _(t)(w _(c) +w_(t)=1)  (2)

The user may determines weights Wc and Wt. The weight Wc and Wt may befixed values. More specifically, each of the weights Wc and WT may be0.5, and the final distance may be determined by averaging the distanceof the color feature vector Cv and the distance of the frequencycomponent vector Tv.

EMD (earth movers distance) used in the calculation of the vectordistance is disclosed in the paper entitled “A Metric for Distributionswith Applications to Image Databases,” by Y. Rubner, C. Tomasi, and L.J. Guibas, Proceedings of the 1998 IEEE International Conference onComputer Vision, Bombay, India, January 1998, pp. 59-66. The vectordistance calculation is not limited to this method. For example,Euclidean distance or Hausdorff distance may be used. Also techniquesare disclosed in the paper entitled “Interactive Image Retrieval basedon Wavelet Transform” authored by Michihiro KOBAYAKAWA and Mamoru HOSHI,Computer Science Magazine bit December issue, Dec. 1, 1999, published byKyoritsu Shuppan, pp. 30-41, and the paper entitled “Design,Implementation and Performance Evaluation of Similar Image RetrievalSystem Based on Self-Organizing Feature Map” authored by K. OH, K.KANEKO, A. MAKINOUCHI, and A. UENO, Technical Report of the Institute ofElectronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IECE) Vol. 10, No.31, May 2, 2000, published by the IECE pp. 9-16. Such techniques mayalso be used.

In step S136, the retrieval unit 107 stores the distance with the imagewithin the retrieval range associated therewith on the similar resultdatabase 113. For example, in step S136, the retrieval unit 107 storesthe distance together with the content ID of the image within theretrieval range associated therewith on the similar result database 113.

FIG. 27 illustrates the metadata stored on the content database 111 andthe similar feature database 112 and the structure of the distancestored on the similar result database 113.

As shown in FIG. 27, a database record 301-1 corresponds to each of thecontent item 281-1 and the content item 281-1 and a database record301-2 corresponds to each of the content item 281-2 and the content item281-2.

More specifically, each of the database record 301-1 and the databaserecord 301-2 includes a content ID, a similar feature vector, a pathname and a file name of the master image 201, a group ID, imagecapturing time, and other properties.

A distance record 302, stored on the similar result database 113,contains the content ID and the distance from the selected image. Adistance record 302 is associated with each of the database record 301-1and the database record 301-2 using the content ID.

If there is no need for differentiating between the database record301-1 and the database record 301-2, the database record is referred toas a database record 301.

The distance in the distance record 302 is a distance property.

A time group record 303, stored on the time group database 114, containsa group ID unique to a group (for identifying the group), and a contentID identifying the image belonging to the group identified by the groupID. The arrangement of the content ID in the time group record 303 is aPhotoIdArray property.

As shown in FIG. 28, the content database 111, the similar resultdatabase 113 and the time group database 114 are associated with therecords thereof. One or a plurality of database records 301 is stored oneach of the content database 111 and the similar feature database 112(not shown), and one or a plurality of time group records 303 is storedon the time group database 114.

Returning to FIG. 26, in step S137, the retrieval unit 107 determineswhether all images within the retrieval range are completed. If it isdetermined in step S137 that all images are not completed, processingreturns to step S134. The retrieval unit 107 reads the similar featurevector corresponding to the content ID of a next contracted image 202 inthe retrieval range, and repeats the above-described process.

If it is determined in step S137 that all images have been completed,processing proceeds to step S138. The retrieval unit 107 reads thedistance associated with the image within the retrieval range from thesimilar feature database 112. In step S138, for example, the retrievalunit 107 reads the distance together with the content ID identifying theimage within the retrieval range from the similar feature database 112.

In step S139, the retrieval unit 107 sorts the images within theretrieval range in accordance with the distance read in step S138, andends the process. In step S139, for example, the retrieval unit 107sorts the images within the retrieval area in the order of similarity bysorting the content IDs identifying the images within the retrievalrange in accordance with the order of distance.

Returning back to FIG. 23, in step S104, the display controller 106displays the contracted images 202 in the order of similarity on themonitor 40. More specifically, in step S104, the display controller 106reads the contracted images 202 from the image storage 110, and displaysthe contracted images 202 in the order of similarity sorted in step S139on the monitor 40 in step S139.

As shown in FIG. 29, the display controller 106 causes the monitor 40 todisplay, in the order of similarity, the contracted images 202 similarto the contracted image 202 selected in step S102. For example, thedisplay controller 106 displays the contracted image 202 selected instep S102 (key image in FIG. 29) on the top left of the display area ofthe monitor 40, and then displays the contracted images 202 similar tothe key image in the order of similarity in a raster scan sequence. Eachsmall square on the right side of FIG. 29 represents one contractedimage 202 and an alphabet in each square shows the order of similarityof the contracted image 202.

In step S105, the retrieval unit 107 selects one contracted image 202from the contracted images 202 displayed on the monitor 40 in responseto a signal from the input unit 49 operated by the user.

If the contracted image 202 labeled B is selected from among thecontracted images 202 displayed on the monitor 40 in a raster scanformat in the order of similarity as shown in FIG. 29, the selectedcontracted image 202 is highlighted or the outline of the selectedcontracted image 202 is enhanced. At the same time, the displaycontroller 106 displays in an expanded view the selected contractedimage 202 below the key image in the display area of the monitor 40.

In step S106, the retrieval unit 107 determines whether to cancel theselection in response to a signal from the input unit 49 operated by theuser. If the retrieval unit 107 determines not to cancel, processingproceeds to step S107. The retrieval unit 107 determines whether toenter the selected contracted image 202.

If it is determined in step S107 that the selected contracted image 202is to be entered, the retrieval unit 107 acquires a group ID of thecontracted image 202 selected in step S105. More specifically, theretrieval unit 107 reads the metadata 261 identified by the content IDof the contracted image 202 selected in step S105, and extracts from themetadata 261 the group ID identifying the group to which the selectedcontracted image 202 belongs to, and acquires the group ID of theselected contracted image 202.

In step S109, the retrieval unit 107 reads from the image storage 110the contracted image 202 belonging to the group identified by theacquired group ID. More specifically, the retrieval unit 107 retrievesthe time group record 303 on the time group database 114 in accordancewith the acquired group ID. The retrieval unit 107 reads from the timegroup database 114 a string of the content ID identifying the imagebelonging to the group identified by the group ID in accordance with thetime group record 303 having the same group ID as the acquired group ID.The retrieval unit 107 reads from the image storage 110 the contractedimage 202 identified by the content ID which is an element of the stringof the read content ID. The retrieval unit 107 supplies the readcontracted image 202 to the display controller 106.

In step S110, the display controller 106 causes the monitor 40 todisplay the read contracted images 202 in time series format. Processingthus ends.

In step S110, the display controller 106 may cause the monitor 40 todisplay the contracted images 202 in a clustered format or in a calendarformat.

If it is determined in step S107 that the selected contracted image 202is not to be entered, processing returns to step S104 to repeat stepS104 and subsequent steps.

If it is determined in step S106 that the selection is to be canceled,processing returns to step S101 to repeat step S101 and subsequentsteps.

In steps S102 and S105, the image selected state is maintained on thescreen until a next image is selected. In steps S101, S104, and S110,the selected image is displayed on the with the outline thereof enhancedin a manner such that the user may recognize the selected image.

More specifically, a switching operation is performed in the displayingof the images between a time-series display format and a similarityorder display format with the selected image state maintained.

In this way, images captured at the time close to the image capturingtime of the image similar to a predetermined image can be immediatelydisplayed. Images similar to the image captured at the time close theimage capturing time of a predetermined image can be immediatelydisplayed. Images can thus be traced back in order in the retrieval andretrieval either by image similarity criterion or close time criterion.By combining effectively a time-axis retrieval and a similarityretrieval, the digital still camera 11 having even a small screen sizepermits the user to view and retrieval images in terms of similarity andtime, both of which are predominant factors in human memory.

The distance representing similarity indicates statistical similarity,and a retrieval failure can take place. An image that appears similarfrom the sense of human may escape retrieval. Even if such a retrievalfailure takes place, images at close events are displayed in one view,and the user can still recognize an image that appears similar from thesense of human.

Pictures of events such as cherry blossom viewing, fireworks, barbecueparties may be captured every year. The pictures of such events may beaccumulated. The images can be immediately rearranged in time seriesorder after performing similarity retrieval. The images of similarevents displayed in the time series order may serve as an album to helpthe user to recall the events.

The digital still camera 11 may retrieve the master image 201 in theprocess of a flowchart of FIG. 23.

In the retrieval process illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 23, thecontracted images 202 are displayed by group in the time series order onthe monitor 40 as shown in the upper portion FIG. 30. If the contractedimage 202 labeled the letter A is selected from the contracted images202 displayed in time series format, contracted images 202 similar tothe contracted image 202 labeled the letter A is retrieved and displayedin the order of similarity on the monitor 40.

The monitor 40 displays in an enlarged view the key image, i.e., thecontracted image 202 labeled the letter A.

If the contracted image 202 labeled the letter B is selected from thecontracted images 202 displayed in the order of similarity, the monitor40 displays in an enlarged view the contracted image 202 labeled theletter B as the key image.

The contracted images 202 similar to the contracted image 202 labeledthe letter A is displayed in the order of similarity on the monitor 40.If the selection of the contracted image 202 labeled the letter A iscanceled, the contracted images 202 are displayed back in the timeseries format.

If an entry key is selected when the contracted image 202 labeled theletter B is selected from among the contracted images 202 displayed inthe order of similarity, the contracted images 202 belonging to thegroup of the contracted image 202 labeled the letter B are displayed inthe time series format. In this case, the contracted image 202 labeledthe letter B is displayed with the outline thereof enhanced.

The contracted images 202 may be sorted into groups by image capturingdate. On a per group basis, the monitor 40 displays the contractedimages 202 in the time series format having date close to the date ofimage capture of the contracted image 202 labeled the letter B.

The retrieval process of the server 13 is described below. FIG. 31 is aflowchart illustrating the retrieval process of the server 13. In stepS161, the display controller 136 in the server 13 causes the output unit77 as a display unit to display the master images 201 in the time seriesformat. More specifically, in step S161, the image storage 140 suppliesto the display controller 136 the master images 201 within the retrievalrange responsive to a signal from the input unit 76 operated by theuser, from among the master images 201 recorded thereon. The contentdatabase 141 supplies to the display controller 136 the metadata 261 atthe image capturing time out of the metadata 261 of the master image 201falling within the predetermined range supplied to the displaycontroller 136. The display controller 136 causes the output unit 77 todisplay the master images 201 in the time series sequence of imagecapture in accordance with the image capturing time.

For example, as shown in the right portion of FIG. 32, the displaycontroller 136 causes the output unit 77 to display the contractedimages 202 in the image capture time sequence (i.e., along time axis).The display controller 136 causes the output unit 77 to display themaster images 201 in the order of capture on a per group basis.

In step S162, the retrieval unit 137 selects one of the master images201 displayed on the output unit 77 in response to a signal from theinput unit 76 operated by the user.

In step S163, the retrieval unit 137 performs the retrieval process ofsimilar images. The retrieval process in step S163 is performed by theretrieval unit 137 instead of the retrieval unit 107. The rest of theretrieval process in step S163 remains unchanged from the processdiscussed with reference to FIG. 26, and the discussion thereof isomitted herein.

In step S164, the display controller 136 causes the output unit 77 todisplay the master image 201 in the order of similarity. Morespecifically, in step S164, the display controller 136 causes the outputunit 77 to display the master images 201 in the order of sortedsimilarity.

For example, the display controller 136 causes the output unit 77 todisplay the master images 201 similar to the master image 201 selectedin step S162 in the order of similarity as shown in the left portion ofFIG. 32.

In step S165, the retrieval unit 137 selects one master image 201 fromthe master images 201 displayed on the output unit 77 in response to asignal from the input unit 49 operated by the user.

In step S166, the retrieval unit 137 determines in response to a signalfrom the communication unit 47 operated by the user whether to displaythe images in the time series format. For example, the retrieval unit137 determines whether to display the images in the time series order inresponse to a signal from the input unit 76 input when the user selectsone of a switch button 351 and a switch button 352 displayed on theoutput unit 77.

When the switch button 351 on the output unit 77 to cause the images tobe displayed in the time series format is selected, the time seriesdisplay is determined to be performed in step S166. Processing proceedsto step S167.

In step S167, the retrieval unit 137 acquires the group ID of theselected master image 201 from the content database 141. Morespecifically, the retrieval unit 137 reads from the content database 141the metadata 261 identified by the content ID of the selected masterimage 201, and extracts from the read metadata 261 the group IDidentifying the group of the selected master image 201. The retrievalunit 137 thus acquires the group ID of the selected master image 201.

In step S168, the retrieval unit 137 reads from the image storage 140the master image 201 belonging to the group identified by the acquiredgroup ID. The retrieval unit 137 retrieves the time group record 303 ofthe time group database 144 in accordance with the acquired group ID.The retrieval unit 137 reads from the time group database 144 the stringof the content ID identifying the image belonging to the groupidentified by the group ID in accordance with the time group record 303containing the same group ID as the acquired group ID. The retrievalunit 137 reads from the image storage 140 the master image 201identified by the content ID as an element in the string of the readgroup ID. The retrieval unit 137 supplies the read master image 201 tothe display controller 136.

In step S169, the display controller 136 causes the output unit 77 todisplay the read master image 201. More specifically, in step S169, thedisplay controller 136 causes the output unit 77 to display the masterimages 201 in the time series format.

In step S170, the retrieval unit 137 selects one master image 201 fromamong the contracted images 202 displayed on the output unit 77 inresponse to a signal from the input unit 76 operated by the user.

In step S171, the retrieval unit 137 determines whether to display theimages in the time series format in response to a signal from the inputunit 49 operated by the user. For example, the retrieval unit 137determines whether to display the images in the time series format inresponse to the signal from the input unit 76 input when one of theswitch button 351 and the switch button 352 displayed on the output unit77 is selected by the user.

If the switch button 352 on the output unit 77 to cause the images to bedisplayed in the order of similarity is selected by the user, theretrieval unit 137 determines to display the images in the order ofsimilarity in step S171. If it is determined in step S171 that theimages are to be displayed in the time series format, processing returnsto step S163.

If the switch button 351 on the output unit 77 to cause the images to bedisplayed in the time series order is selected by the user, theretrieval unit 137 determines to not display the images in the order ofsimilarity in step S171. Processing returns to step S167 to repeat stepS167 and subsequent steps.

If the switch button 352 is selected in step S166, the images are not tobe displayed in the time series format, and processing returns to stepS163 to repeat step S163 and subsequent steps.

Switching operation between the similarity order display and the timeseries order display is freely performed in response to the selection ofthe switch button 351 and the switch button 352 displayed on the outputunit 77.

The relation level extraction process of the server 13 is describedbelow.

The digital still camera 11, the cellular phone 12, and the server 13retrieve images using the color name and the relation level of the colorname as the feature of the image. The server 13 extracts the relationlevel of a predetermined color name from the image as one feature of theimage.

The relation level of the color name means the degree of associationunder which the image is thought of in response to the particular colorname. In other words, the relation level refers to the ratio of color inwhich the image is thought to have a color of a particular color name.

The color names are red, blue, yellow, white, black, green, etc.

FIG. 33 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the colorfeature extractor 172 extracting the relation level of the color name.The color feature extractor 172 includes an image input unit 401, a redrelation level extractor 402, a blue relation level extractor 403, ayellow relation level extractor 404, and an extracted feature recorder405.

The red relation level extractor 402, the blue relation level extractor403, and the yellow relation level extractor 404 are described forexemplary purposes only, and any number of relation level extractors forextracting relation levels of any colors may be employed. Morespecifically, a relation level extractor is prepared on a per color namebasis.

In the example discussed below, the red relation level extractor 402,the blue relation level extractor 403 and the yellow relation levelextractor 404 are incorporated.

The image input unit 401 acquires from the image storage 140 the masterimage 201 from which the relation level is to be extracted. The imageinput unit 401 acquires from the correspondence to relation levelextractor storage 145 the color name and correspondence informationindicating mapping to each of the red relation level extractor 402, theblue relation level extractor 403, and the yellow relation levelextractor 404.

As shown in FIG. 34, the correspondence information recorded on thecorrespondence to relation level extractor storage 145 contains thecolor name and information identifying the red relation level extractor402, the blue relation level extractor 403, and the yellow relationlevel extractor 404 from which the relation level of the color name isextracted. For example, as shown in FIG. 34, the color name “red”corresponds to the red relation level extractor 402, the color name“blue” corresponds to the blue relation level extractor 403, and thecolor name “yellow” corresponds to the yellow relation level extractor404.

Based on the correspondence information, the image input unit 401supplies the master image 201 acquired from the image storage 140 to theimage input unit 401, the blue relation level extractor 403, and theyellow relation level extractor 404.

The red relation level extractor 402 extracts from the master image 201supplied from the image input unit 401 the relation level indicating thedegree of association under which the master image 201 is thought of inresponse to the color name of red. The red relation level extractor 402then supplies to the extracted feature recorder 405 the relation level,extracted from the master image 201, indicating the degree ofassociation responsive to the color name of red.

The blue relation level extractor 403 extracts from the master image 201supplied from the image input unit 401 the relation level indicating thedegree of association under which the master image 201 is thought of inresponse to the color name of blue. The blue relation level extractor403 then supplies to the extracted feature recorder 405 the relationlevel, extracted from the master image 201, indicating the degree ofassociation responsive to the color name of blue.

The yellow relation level extractor 404 extracts from the master image201 supplied from the image input unit 401 the relation level indicatingthe degree of association under which the master image 201 is thought ofin response to the color name of yellow. The yellow relation levelextractor 404 then supplies to the extracted feature recorder 405 therelation level, extracted from the master image 201, indicating thedegree of association responsive to the color name of yellow.

The extracted feature recorder 405 associates the relation levelindicating the degree of association responsive to the color name ofred, the relation level indicating the degree of association responsiveto the color name of blue, and the relation level indicating the degreeof association responsive to the color name of yellow respectively fromthe red relation level extractor 402, the blue relation level extractor403, and the yellow relation level extractor 404 with the master image201, and then stores the resulting relation levels on the extractedfeature storage 146.

As shown in FIG. 35, the extracted feature storage 146 stores, togetherwith the content ID identifying the master image 201, the relation levelindicating the degree of association responsive to the color name ofred, the relation level indicating the degree of association responsiveto the color name of blue, and the relation level indicating the degreeof association responsive to the color name of yellow.

As described above, the image input unit 401 inputs the master image 201recorded on the image storage 140. Not only the master image 201 butalso the contracted image 202 or the reduced color image 221 may beinput and processed. Instead of the images, the color histogramassociated with the image from which each relation level is to beextracted may be input by the image input unit 401. The red relationlevel extractor 402, the blue relation level extractor 403 and theyellow relation level extractor 404 may then extract the relation levelthereof from the input histograms.

FIG. 35 illustrates a logical structure of the relation level recordedon the extracted feature storage 146. As shown, in association with acontent ID of 000, the extracted feature storage 146 stores a relationlevel of 0.80 indicating the degree of association responsive to thecolor name of red, a relation level of 0.00 indicating the degree ofassociation responsive to the color name of blue, and a relation levelof 0.10 indicating the degree of association responsive to the colorname of yellow, each extracted from the master image 201 identified by acontent ID of 000. In association with a content ID of 001, theextracted feature storage 146 stores a relation level of 0.00 indicatingthe degree of association responsive to the color name of red, arelation level of 0.25 indicating the degree of association responsiveto the color name of blue, and a relation level of 0.20 indicating thedegree of association responsive to the color name of yellow, eachextracted from the master image 201 identified by a content ID of 001.Furthermore, in association with a content ID of 002, the extractedfeature storage 146 stores a relation level of 0.15 indicating thedegree of association responsive to the color name of red, a relationlevel of 0.05 indicating the degree of association responsive to thecolor name of blue, and a relation level of 0.00 indicating the degreeof association responsive to the color name of yellow, each extractedfrom the master image 201 identified by a content ID of 002.

The extracted feature recorder 405 stores, as the metadata 261, therelation level indicating the degree of association responsive to thecolor name of red, the relation level indicating the degree ofassociation responsive to the color name of blue, and the relation levelindicating the degree of association responsive to the color name ofyellow respectively supplied from the red relation level extractor 402,the blue relation level extractor 403, and the yellow relation levelextractor 404, with the master image 201 associated therewith on thesimilar feature database 142.

The relation level may be embedded in a predetermined area of the masterimage 201 as the EXIF data.

The retrieval unit 137 retrieves the color name and the relation levelof the color name as the feature of the image. In this case, theretrieval unit 137 may include a retrieval condition input unit 421 anda condition matching unit 422.

The retrieval condition input unit 421 receives a retrieval condition ofthe relation level in response to a signal from the input unit 76operated by the user. The retrieval condition input unit 421 suppliesthe retrieval condition of the relation level to the condition matchingunit 422.

The condition matching unit 422 matches the retrieval condition suppliedfrom the retrieval condition input unit 421 against the relation levelrecorded on the extracted feature storage 146. The condition matchingunit 422 stores the match result, namely, the content ID correspondingto the relation level satisfying the retrieval condition to theretrieval result storage 147.

FIG. 36 is a flowchart illustrating in detail a color feature extractionprocess corresponding to step S43. In step S201, the image input unit401 receives from the image storage 140 the master image 201 as a targetimage from which the relation level is to be extracted. The image inputunit 401 also receives the correspondence information from thecorrespondence to relation level extractor storage 145.

In step S202, the image input unit 401 receives the color name. In stepS203, in response to the correspondence information, the image inputunit 401 identifies which of the red relation level extractor 402, theblue relation level extractor 403, and the yellow relation levelextractor 404 corresponds to the input color name.

For example, if the color name of red is input in step S202, the imageinput unit 401 identifies the red relation level extractor 402 inresponse to the correspondence information in step S203.

The image input unit 401 supplies the input master image 201 to anyidentified one of the red relation level extractor 402, the bluerelation level extractor 403, and the yellow relation level extractor404.

In step S204, one of the red relation level extractor 402, the bluerelation level extractor 403, and the yellow relation level extractor404 identified in step S203 performs a relation level extractionprocess. The relation level extraction process will be described indetail later.

The extracted relation level is supplied to the extracted featurerecorder 405.

In step S205, the extracted feature recorder 405 stores on the extractedfeature storage 146 the extracted relation level as a color featurevector in association with the master image 201 as a target image fromwhich the relation level is to be extracted.

In step S206, the image input unit 401 determines whether the relationlevel has been extracted from the master image 201 of all color names.If all color names have not been completed, processing returns to stepS202 to input a next color name and to repeat subsequent steps.

If it is determined in step S206 that the current color name is thefinal one, i.e., that the relation levels have been extracted from themaster image 201 in all color names, processing ends.

FIG. 37 is a flowchart illustrating in detail the relation levelextraction process corresponding to step S204 of FIG. 36 performed whenthe red relation level extractor 402 is identified in step S203.

In step S221, the red relation level extractor 402 clears an internalcounter thereof. In step S222 to be executed first, the red relationlevel extractor 402 receives the color of a first pixel, namely, thepixel value of the first pixel of the master image 201. In step S223,the red relation level extractor 402 calculates a position of the colorof the pixel in the color space.

In step S224, the red relation level extractor 402 determines whetherthe calculated position in the color space is within a sub spacecorresponding to the color name of red.

The position in the color space calculated for the color of a pixel isdescribed below.

For example, the pixel value of each pixel in the master image 201 isrepresented by RGB. The pixel value is composed of a R value, a G value,and a B value. An RGB space is defined by mutually perpendicular threeaxes, namely, an R axis, a G axis, and a B axis. A single pixel valuedetermines a single position in the RGB color space.

In the RGB color space, describing a position of a color perceived bythe human as a color of a color name by a single area is difficult.

Describing a color of a pixel by a position in a L*a*b* space is nowcontemplated. As shown in FIG. 39, the L*a*b* space is defined mutuallyperpendicular three axes, namely, L* axis, a* axis, and b* axis. In theL*a*b* space, the larger the value L* in the L* axis, the higher theluminance becomes, and the lower the value L* in the L* axis, the lowerthe luminance becomes. Given a constant L* value, the color saturationbecomes lower as it becomes closer to the L* axis.

A single pixel value determines a single position in the L*a*b* space.

In the L*a*b* space, a position of a color perceived by the human as acolor of a color name is described by a single area. An area containinga position of a color perceived by the human as a color of apredetermined color name is referred to as a sub space. The sub space isan area having a breadth in the L*a*b* space.

Examples of sub space for white and black are described below.

FIG. 40 illustrates a white sub space 441 and a black sub space 442. Thewhite sub space 441 is part of an elliptical body having one axiscollinear with the L* axis. The graphical center of the elliptical bodyis located at the top position of the L*a*b* space (the position givingthe maximum value of the L* axis). The white sub space 441 is the partof the internal space of the elliptical body which is also commonlyshared by the L*a*b* space. The white sub space 441 provides low colorsaturation while providing high luminance. Color represented at aposition within the white sub space 441 is perceived by the human aswhite.

The black sub space 442 is part of an elliptical body with one axisthereof collinear with the L* axis. The graphical center of theelliptical body is located at the bottom position of the L*a*b* space(the position giving the minimum value of the L* axis). The black subspace 442 is the part of the internal space of the elliptical body whichis also commonly shared by the L*a*b* space. The black sub space 442provides low color saturation while providing low luminance. Colorrepresented at a position within the black sub space 442 is perceived bythe human as white.

The sub spaces for red, yellow, green, and blue are described below.

Since red, yellow, green and blue are chromatic colors, space inside acolor saturation boundary 461, space below a luminance lower limitboundary 462, space above a luminance upper limit boundary 463 areexcluded from the L*a*b* space. The space inside the color saturationboundary 461 provides a low color saturation, and any color representedby a position within that space cannot be perceived by the human as red,yellow, green or blue.

The space below the luminance lower limit boundary 462 provides a lowluminance, and any color represented by a position within that spacecannot be perceived by the human as red, yellow, green or blue.

The space above the luminance upper limit boundary 463 provides a highluminance, and any color represented by a position within that spacecannot be perceived by the human as red, yellow, green or blue.

Any color within the L*a*b* space excluding the space inside the colorsaturation boundary 461, the space below the luminance lower limitboundary 462, the space above the luminance upper limit boundary 463 isperceived by the human as red, yellow, green or blue.

The space of the L*a*b* space excluding the space inside the colorsaturation boundary 461, the space below the luminance lower limitboundary 462, the space above the luminance upper limit boundary 463 issegmented by radially extending boundaries from the L* axisperpendicular to the plane formed by the a* axis and the b* axis asshown in FIG. 42. For example, a green sub space 481 is a space alongthe a* axis and surrounded by a boundary extending from the L* axisabove a negative portion of the a* axis and a boundary extending fromthe L* axis above the negative portion of the a* axis, if the L*a*b*space is viewed from above a position positive portion of the L* axis. Acolor represented by a position within the green sub space 481 isperceived by the human as green.

If the L*a*b* space is viewed from above the positive portion of the L*axis, a blue sub space 482 is a space along the b* axis and surroundedby a boundary extending from the L* axis to the right of a negativeportion of the b* axis and a boundary extending from the L* axis to theleft of the negative portion of the b* axis. A color represented by aposition within the blue sub space 482 is perceived by the human asblue.

If the L*a*b* space is viewed from above the positive portion of the L*axis, a red sub space 483 is a space along the a* axis and surrounded bya boundary extending above a positive portion of the a* axis and aboundary extending below the position portion of the a* axis. A colorrepresented by a position within the red sub space 483 is perceived bythe human as red. If the L*a*b* space is viewed from above the positiveportion of the L* axis, a yellow sub space 484 is a space along the b*axis and surrounded by a boundary extending to the right of a positiveportion of the b* axis and a boundary extending to the left of thepositive portion of the b* axis. A color represented by a positionwithin the yellow sub space 484 is perceived by the human as yellow.

In step S223, the red relation level extractor 402 calculates a positionwithin the L*a*b* space corresponding to the color of the pixel. In stepS224, the red relation level extractor 402 determines whether thecalculated position within the L*a*b* space falls within the blue subspace 482 corresponding to the color name of red. More specifically, instep S224, the red relation level extractor 402 determines whether thecolor of the pixel is the one that can be perceived by the human as red.

If it is determined in step S224 that the calculated position within theL*a*b* space is within the red sub space 483 corresponding to the colorname of red, the color of the pixel is the one that can be perceived bythe human. processing proceeds to step S225. The red relation levelextractor 402 increments a counter by 1 and then proceeds to step 226.

If it is determined in step S224 that the calculated position in theL*a*b* space is not within the red sub space 483 corresponding to thecolor name of red, the color of the pixel is not a color perceived bythe human as red. Processing proceeds to step S226 skipping step S225,namely, without incrementing the counter.

In step S226, the red relation level extractor 402 determines whetherall pixels in the master image 201 have bee processed. If it isdetermined in step S226 that all pixels in the master image 201 have notbeen processed, processing returns to step S222. The color, namely, thepixel value of a next one of the pixels in the master image 201 is inputand then the above-described process is repeated.

If it is determined in step S226 that all pixels in the master image 201have been processed, processing proceeds to step S227. The red relationlevel extractor 402 divides the count of the counter by the number ofpixels of the master image 201. In this way, the ratio of the colordetermined to be red in the master image 201 is calculated.

In step S228, the red relation level extractor 402 treats the divisionresult as the relation level of red, and supplies the relation level ofred to the extracted feature recorder 405, thereby completing theprocess thereof.

The sub space of the L*a*b* space has been discussed. The presentinvention is not limited to the L*a*b* space. A color space in which thecolor of a color name is described using a space may be assumed. Usingsuch a color space, the relation level may be determined based on a subspace in the color space.

In the relation level extraction process of FIG. 37, a binary-valuedetermination process as to whether or not the color of each pixel fallswithin the sub space is performed. Whether the color of each pixel is inthe close vicinity to the center of the sub space or close to the outerperimeter of the sub space may be accounted for in the relation level.

The relation level extraction process in that case is described below.

FIG. 43 is a flowchart illustrating in detail another relation levelextraction process in step S204 of FIG. 36 performed when the redrelation level extractor 402 is identified in step S203. In step S241,the red relation level extractor 402 clears a stored relation level. Instep S242 to be performed for the first time, the red relation levelextractor 402 receives the color, namely, the pixel value of a firstpixel from among the pixels in the master image 201. In step S243, thered relation level extractor 402 calculates a position corresponding tothe color of the pixel in the color space.

In step S224, the red relation level extractor 402 calculates thecertainty factor that the calculated position in the color space fallswithin the sub space corresponding to the color name. More specifically,in step S224, the red relation level extractor 402 calculates thecertainty factor that the calculated position in the color space fallswithin the sub space 483 corresponding to the color name of red.

The certainty factor is the degree of certainty that indicates whetherthe color of each pixel is in the close vicinity to the center of thesub space or close to the outer perimeter of the sub space, andcontinuously decreases from 0 to 1 as the calculated position is apartfrom the center of the sub space outward.

For example, in step S224, the red relation level extractor 402 resultsin a certainty factor close to 1 when the calculated position is closeto the center of the red sub space 483, and results in a certaintyfactor close to 0 when the calculated position is close to the outerperimeter of the red sub space 483.

In step S245, the red relation level extractor 402 adds the certaintyfactor to the relation level. In step S246, the red relation levelextractor 402 determines whether the current pixel is the final one,i.e., whether all pixels in the master image 201 have been processed. Ifit is determined in step S245 that the pixel is not the final one,processing returns to step S242. The color, namely, the pixel value of anext one of the pixels in the master image 201 is input and theabove-described process is repeated.

If it is determined in step S226 that the current pixel is the finalone, i.e., that all pixels in the master image 201 have been processed,the red relation level extractor 402 supplies the relation level of redto the extracted feature recorder 405, and completes the processthereof.

If the relation level is calculated based on the certainty factor, theresulting relation level becomes closer to the sense of human. Inparticular, when the image contains a large amount of color closer tothe boundary of the sub space, a more reliable relation level results.

The process in step S224 in the relation level extraction processdiscussed with reference to FIG. 37 is a binary classification processas to whether or not the color of the pixel is determined to be a colorof a particular color name, and may be replaced with a variety ofpattern recognition techniques.

The relation level extraction process using such a technique isdescribed below.

FIG. 44 is a flowchart illustrating in detail another relation levelextraction process performed in step S204 of FIG. 36 when the redrelation level extractor 402 is identified in step S203. Steps S261 andS262 are respectively identical to steps S221 and S222 of FIG. 37, andthe discussion thereof is omitted herein.

In step S263, the red relation level extractor 402 recognizes a patternof a color of a pixel.

For example, in step S263, the red relation level extractor 402recognizes the color of the pixel using a neural network. For example, apattern recognition technique using the neural network is described inthe book entitled “Recognition Engineering—Pattern Recognition andApplications thereof” authored by Junichiro TORIWAKI, published byCORONA PUBLISHING CO., LTD.

In the pattern recognition, a plurality of pieces of determination dataindicating whether a color having a particular color value (L*a*b*) is acolor of a particular color name is manually collected beforehand, and aneural network learning process is performed on the collecteddetermination data to produce parameters required for recognition.

FIG. 45 illustrates an example of the determination data indicatingwhether the color value is blue or not. In the determination data ofFIG. 45, a color identified by an L* value of 0.02, an a* value of 0.04,and a b* value of 0.10 is not blue, a color identified by an L* value of0.72, an a* value of 0.00, and a b* value of 0.12 is blue, and a coloridentified by an L* value of 0.28, an a* value of −0.02, and a b* valueof 0.15 is not blue.

The use of the neural network allows the color of the pixel to bedetermined as the color of a particular color name in accordance withthe parameters thus generated.

Any technique of pattern recognition is acceptable as long as thetechnique determines whether the color of the pixel is the color of aparticular color name. For example, support vector machine (SVM)technique may be used.

In step S264, the red relation level extractor 402 determines therecognition result as to whether the color of the pixel belongs to red.If it is determined in step S264 that the color of the pixel belongs tored, processing proceeds to step S265. The red relation level extractor402 increments the counter by 1 and then proceeds to step S266.

If it is determined in step S264 that the color of the pixel does notbelong to red, processing proceeds to step S266 skipping step S265,namely, without incrementing the counter.

Steps S266 through S268 are respectively identical to steps S226 throughS228, and the discussion thereof is omitted herein.

Furthermore, the certainty factor may be calculated using the patternrecognition technique.

FIG. 46 is a flowchart illustrating in detail the relation levelextraction process performed in step S204 of FIG. 36 when the redrelation level extractor 402 is identified in step S203. Step S281 isidentical to step S241 of FIG. 43, and the discussion thereof is omittedherein. Steps S282 and S283 are respectively identical to steps S262 andS263 of FIG. 44, and the discussion thereof is omitted herein.

In step S284, the red relation level extractor 402 calculates, as therecognition result, the certainty factor that the color of the pixelbelongs to the color of the color name. More specifically, in step S284,the red relation level extractor 402 calculates, as the recognitionresult, the certainty factor that the color of the pixel belongs to red.For example, a value input to an output layer of the neural network maybe used as the certainty factor.

Steps S285 and S286 are respectively identical to steps S245 and S246 ofFIG. 43, and the discussion thereof of omitted herein.

The relation level extraction process to be performed in step S204 ofFIG. 36 when the blue relation level extractor 403 is identified in stepS203, and the relation level extraction process to be performed in stepS204 of FIG. 36 when the yellow relation level extractor 404 isidentified in step S203 are respectively identical to the relation levelprocess to be performed in step S204 when the red relation levelextractor 402 is identified in step S203, except that the blue relationlevel extractor 403 and the yellow relation level extractor 404 operateand that sub spaces are different. The rest of the process remainsunchanged from the process discussed with reference to FIGS. 37, 43, 44,and 46, and the discussion thereof is omitted herein.

FIG. 47 is a flowchart illustrating the retrieval process. In step S311,the retrieval condition input unit 421 acquires a retrieval conditionrelating to the relation level in response to a signal from the inputunit 76 operated by the user. The retrieval condition input unit 421supplies the retrieval condition relating to the relation level to thecondition matching unit 422.

As shown in FIG. 48, the a graphical user interface (GUI) image isdisplayed on the output unit 77 as a display unit. As shown in FIG. 48,slide bars 491 operated by the user specify granularity (thresholdvalue) of each color as the retrieval condition. When a check box 492 ischecked by the user, the granularity of the color name specified by theslide bar 491 corresponding to the checked check box 492 is acquired instep S311 as the retrieval condition.

When a black check box 492, a red check box 492, and a green check box492 are checked, a black granularity specified by a black slide bar 491,a red granularity specified by a red slide bar 491, and a greengranularity specified by a green slide bar 491 are acquired in step S311as the retrieval condition.

When an AND search radio button 493 is selected, a logical AND ofgranularities of the colors specified by the slide bars 491 is set asthe final retrieval condition. When a OR search radio button 494 isselected, a logical OR of granularities of the colors specified by theslide bars 491 is set as the final retrieval condition.

More specifically, in step S311, the retrieval condition input unit 421acquires the retrieval condition represented in a logical formula for aplurality of color names, such as (“red”>0.5) AND (“blue”≥0.5) AND(“green”<0.1).

The user may wish to retrieve a photo of blue sky. The user then inputsa retrieval condition of “blue”≥0.3. In step S311, the retrievalcondition input unit 421 acquires the retrieval condition of “blue”≥0.3.

The user may wish to retrieve a photo of strawberry picking and input aretrieval condition of (“red”>0.1) AND (“green”≥0.3). In step S311, theretrieval condition input unit 421 acquires the retrieval condition of(“red”>0.1) AND (“green”≥0.3).

The color name of the color in the retrieval condition is notnecessarily a color name defined (prepared) by the relation levelextractor. More specifically, the color name of the color in theretrieval condition may be part of the defined color name or one colorname.

The color name may be directly input in numerals and then acquired.

In step S312, the condition matching unit 422 acquires from theextracted feature storage 146 the color feature vector of the masterimage 201 to be retrieved.

In step S313, the condition matching unit 422 determines whether theacquired color feature vector satisfies the retrieval condition. In stepS313, elements of the color name corresponding to the checked check box492 from among the elements of the acquired color feature vector arecompared with the granularity of the color name specified by the slidebar 491. The condition matching unit 422 determines that the colorfeature vector satisfies the retrieval condition if the element of thecolor name of the color feature vector is higher than the specifiedgranularity.

For example, the logical AND of the granularities of the colors may bethe final retrieval condition. The condition matching unit 422determines in step S313 that the color feature vector satisfies theretrieval condition if the element of the color name of the colorfeature vector is higher than the specified granularity in all elementsof the color name corresponding to the checked check box 492. Forexample, the logical OR of the granularities of the colors may be thefinal retrieval condition. The condition matching unit 422 determines instep S313 that the color feature vector satisfies the retrievalcondition if the element of the color name of the color feature vectoris higher than the specified granularity in any of elements of the colorname corresponding to the checked check box 492.

If it is determined in step S313 that the acquired color feature vectorsatisfies the retrieval condition, processing proceeds to step S314. Thecondition matching unit 422 additionally stores to the search resultstorage 147 the content ID identifying the master image 201corresponding to the color feature vector acquired in step S312, andthen proceeds to step 315.

If it is determined in step S313 that the acquired color feature vectorfails to satisfy the retrieval condition, processing proceeds to stepS315 skipping step S314, i.e., without additionally storing the contentID on the search result storage 147.

In step S315, the retrieval condition input unit 421 determines whetherthe current image is the final one, i.e., whether all images have beencompleted. If it is determined in step S315 that all images have notretrieved, processing returns to step S312. The color feature vector ofa next master image 201 is then acquired to repeat the above-describedprocess.

If it is determined in step S315 that the current image is the finalone, i.e., that all images have been retrieved, processing ends.

After the above process, the content ID identifying the master image 201satisfying the retrieval condition is stored on the retrieval resultstorage 147.

FIGS. 49A-49D illustrate examples of the master image 201 identified bythe content ID stored on the retrieval result storage 147 and displayedon the output unit 77 as a display unit. For example, the green checkbox 492 might be checked, and the green slide bar 491 might specify agranularity. As shown in FIG. 49A, the master image 201 containing alarge amount of green is displayed on the output unit 77. The greencheck box 492 might be checked with a granularity specified on the greenslide bar 491, and the red check box 492 might be checked with agranularity specified on the red slide bar 491, and the AND search radiobutton 493 might be selected. As shown in FIG. 49B, the master image 201containing large amount of green and red is displayed on the output unit77.

The blue check box 492 might be checked with a granularity specified onthe blue slide bar 491. As shown in FIG. 49C, the master image 201containing a large amount of blue is displayed on the output unit 77.The blue check box 492 might be checked with a granularity specified onthe blue slide bar 491, the white check box 492 might be checked with agranularity specified on the white slide bar 491, and the AND searchradio button 493 might be selected. In this case, as shown in FIG. 49C,the master image 201 containing large amounts of blue and white isdisplayed on the output unit 77.

It is easy for the user to estimate what color is contained in a desiredimage. The user can thus search and retrieve the desired image easily.

Depending the retrieval results, the user can re-retrieve the imageswith the retrieval condition narrowed, i.e., with the granularitymodified. The user can thus retrieve a desired image even more easily.

The user can thus retrieve intuitively images from a color impressionand an environment of each image.

Since a variety of retrieval conditions is set on the collection ofimages, a retrieval result as an image can be obtained at anygranularity.

A color feature vector containing the relation level may be extractedfrom the images so that the images may be retrieved in accordance withthe result of magnitude comparison with the relation level or logicalcomputation. The images can thus be retrieved quickly.

Since the relation level is described in numerical values in arelatively small digit number, a data size of the color feature vectoris reduced. A small recording space for the color feature vector works.

The digital still camera 11 and the cellular phone 12 have beendescribed as the device. Any device is acceptable as long as the devicehandles images. For example, a mobile player or a mobile viewer may beacceptable as the device.

With the metadata of the image recorded, the device can retrieve theimage. The device captures an image, records information relating to theimage with the image associated therewith as data having a predetermineddata structure, and controls transmission of the image to an imageprocessing apparatus. The image processing apparatus controls receptionof the image transmitted from the device, extracts a feature of thereceived image, stores the feature extracted from the image with theimage associated therewith as data having the same data structure as inthe device, and controls transmission of the feature of the image to thedevice. In such an arrangement, the device having even a relativelysmall throughput can retrieve a desired image.

With the metadata of the image recorded, the device can retrieve theimage. The feature of the image is extracted, and the feature extractedfrom the image is stored with the image associated therewith as datahaving a predetermined data structure. Information relating to the imageis stored as data having the same data structure as above on the device.Transmission of the data to the device is controlled. In such anarrangement, the device having even a relatively small throughput canretrieve a desired image.

The above series of process steps may be performed using hardware orsoftware. If the above series of process steps is performed usingsoftware, a computer program forming the software may be installed ontoa computer contained in a hardware structure or a general purposepersonal computer that performs a variety of processes.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, recording media recording a program to beinstalled on the computer and to be made ready for execution by thecomputer include removable medium 82 including magnetic disks (includinga flexible disk), optical disks (including compact disk read-only memory(CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD) and magneto-optical disk) or asemiconductor memory, and the ROM 72, the EEPROM 46, or a hard disk suchas the storage unit 78 for temporarily or permanently storing theprogram. The storage of the program onto the recording media may beperformed using wireless or wired communication media including thecommunication unit 47, the communication unit 48, the communication unit79, and the communication unit 80, such as interfaces including a routerand a modem, and a local area network, the Internet, and digitalbroadcasting satellites.

Process steps describing the program to be stored on the recordingmedium may be performed in the same time series order as describedabove. The process steps may not be performed in the time series orderas described. Alternatively, the process steps may be performed inparallel or separately.

In the context of this specification, the system refers to an entiresystem including a plurality of apparatuses.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may occurdepending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they arewithin the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.

What is claimed:
 1. An information processing apparatus comprising:circuitry configured to: receive via a network an input image from animage capturing device; extract feature information about a face fromthe input image, the feature information corresponding to at least oneof a position of the face in the input image, size of the face in theinput image or direction in which the face is positioned in the inputimage; control searching of other images stored in the informationprocessing apparatus using the feature information; and controloutputting to an external device one or more output images stored in theinformation processing apparatus that are determined to have commonfeature information with the input image.
 2. The information processingapparatus of claim 1 wherein the external device is different than theimage capturing device.
 3. The information processing apparatus of claim1, wherein to extract feature information about the face comprises thecircuitry being further configured to identify a pixel having a pixelvalue indicating a color falling within a predetermined color rangecorresponding to human skin.
 4. The information processing apparatus ofclaim 3, further comprising the circuitry being further configured toidentify the face in the input image as an area composed of consecutivepixels of a predetermined number from among pixels identified as fallingwithin the predetermined color range.
 5. The information processingapparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises a processor thatis configured to perform one or more of the receive, extract featureinformation, control feature similarity and control outputting functionsusing programming instructions stored on a memory.
 6. The informationprocessing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus comprises aserver that includes the processor.
 7. The information processingapparatus of claim 1 wherein common feature information between the oneor more output images and the input image comprises a determination thatpixels classified in a given color appear in the one or more outputimages and in the input image.
 8. The information processing apparatusof claim 1 wherein common feature information between the one or moreimages and the input image comprises a determination that a given faceappears in the one or more output images and in the input image.
 9. Theinformation processing apparatus of claim 1 wherein common featureinformation between the one or more output images and the input imagecomprises a color histogram, a vertical component histogram and ahorizontal component histogram associated with the input image.
 10. Aninformation processing method comprising: receiving via a network aninput image from an image capturing device; extracting featureinformation about a face from the input image, the feature informationcorresponding to at least one of a position of the face in the inputimage, size of the face in the input image or direction in which theface is positioned in the input image; searching other images stored ina memory using the feature information; and outputting to an externaldevice one or more output images stored in the information processingapparatus that are determined to have common feature information withthe input image.
 11. The information processing method of claim 10,wherein extracting feature information about the face comprisesidentifying a pixel having a pixel value indicating a color fallingwithin a predetermined color range corresponding to human skin.
 12. Theinformation processing method of claim 10, wherein extracting featureinformation about the face comprises identifying a facial feature in theinput image as an area composed of consecutive pixels of a predeterminednumber from among pixels identified as falling within a predeterminedcolor range.
 13. The information processing method of claim 10, whereincommon feature information between the one or more output images and theinput image comprises a determination that pixels classified in a givencolor appear in the one or more output images and in the input image.14. The information processing method of claim 10 further comprisingdetermining common feature information between the one or more imagesand the input image by identifying a given face as appearing in the oneor more output images and in the input image.
 15. The informationprocessing method of claim 10 wherein common feature information betweenthe one or more output images and the input image comprises a colorhistogram, a vertical component histogram and a horizontal componenthistogram associated with the input image.
 16. A non-transitory storagemedium storing a program, the program when executed by one or moreprocessing devices cause the processing devices to perform a methodcomprising: receiving via a network an input image from an imagecapturing device; extracting feature information about a face from theinput image, the feature information corresponding to at least one of aposition of the face in the input image, size of the face in the inputimage or direction in which the face is positioned in the input image;searching other images stored in a memory using the feature information;and outputting to an external device one or more output images stored inthe information processing apparatus that are determined to have commonfeature information with the input image.
 17. The non-transitory storagemedium of claim 16, wherein extracting feature information about theface comprises identifying a pixel having a pixel value indicating acolor falling within a predetermined color range corresponding to humanskin.
 18. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 16, whereinextracting feature information about the face comprises identifying afacial feature in the input image as an area composed of consecutivepixels of a predetermined number from among pixels identified as fallingwithin a predetermined color range.
 19. The non-transitory storagemedium of claim 16, wherein common feature information between the oneor more output images and the input image comprises a determination thatpixels classified in a given color appear in the one or more outputimages and in the input image.